Reckitt stands by safety of formula, ‘strongly disagrees’ with jury decision

Reckitt Benckiser issued the following statement in response to a verdict received in Illinois state court on March 13 in one case concerning Necrotising enterocolotis, or NEC: “Reckitt/Mead Johnson stands by the safety of our products. We strongly reject any assertion that any of our products cause NEC, a serious gastrointestinal problem that mostly affects premature infants. While we continue to offer our deepest condolences to Ms. Watson, we strongly disagree with the jury’s decision to fault Mead Johnson and award damages. We continue to believe that the allegations from the plaintiff’s lawyers in this case were not supported by the science or experts in the medical community. This was underscored during the trial by a dozen neonatologists. It is important to note that this is a single verdict in a single case and should not be extrapolated. This case, and others like it, exclusively involve products used under the strict supervision of neonatologists in neonatal intensive care units and provide lifesaving nutrition options for vulnerable premature infants. We are of course, surprised and deeply disappointed with the verdict and will pursue all options to have it overturned.”