Abbott Notches Third Bellwether Win in Suits Over Infant Formula

Abbott Laboratories Inc. convinced a federal judge that there wasn’t a feasible alternative design to a form of infant formula that parents said caused a fatal disease to their preterm child.

The US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted Abbott’s summary judgment motion, giving the company its third win in bellwether cases that are part of consolidated multidistrict litigation alleging the company’s formula causes a deadly disease in preterm infants.

The company “presented substantial and uncontested evidence as to utility” of its Similac Special Care 24 product, Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer said Thursday. The formula is a ...