Blood-Pressure Drug Plaintiffs Suffer Setback in Sprawling Case

Patients and insurers alleging that recalled generic valsartan blood pressure drugs were tainted with probable carcinogens adequately alleged they suffered economic injury sufficient to pursue economic loss and medical monitoring claims, the federal court overseeing multidistrict litigation said Tuesday.

But the would-be class complaints warrant dismissal, for now, because the plaintiffs failed to trace their alleged harm to specific defendants, Judge Robert B. Kugler of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey said.

Plaintiffs say the drugs are tainted with the industrial byproducts NDMA and NDEA. The MDL includes individual personal injury suits alleging the drug caused ...