MADISON, N.J.—Drug maker Wyeth said Tuesday a Maryland court granted its motion for summary judgment in an alleged injury case claiming certain vaccines caused a patient's autism.
Judge Stuart R. Berger of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City in Baltimore granted Wyeth's motion, which in effect ends the case.
The plaintiffs filed the suit on June 11, 2004 against several defendants, including Wyeth.
They alleged that their son, Jamarr Blackwell, was injured in 1985 and 1986 by, among other things, what is known as the thimerosal preservative in vaccines made by Wyeth, according to the court memorandum opinion.
The plaintiffs claimed the injuries suffered by Blackwell were "proximately" caused by the various childhood vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal, which contains mercury, according to the opinion.
On Dec. 21, Judge Berger found that "it is generally accepted in the relevant scientific community that thimerosal in vaccines does not cause or contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism," and noted that "it is generally accepted in the relevant scientific community that autism is genetic in origin except in rare instances of prenatal exposures to certain substances at defined periods during pregnancy."
Shares of Wyeth jumped $1.69, or 4.2 percent, to $41.67 in afternoon trading.
