In a pharmaceutical liability case of first impression, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania has ruled that plaintiffs can sue pharmaceutical companies for negligence in the design of their products. The three-judge panel’s decision in Lance v. Wyeth was just the latest in a trio of significant Superior Court opinions affecting pharmaceutical litigation — and the results, coming in three cases dealing with diet drug litigation, are a mixed bag for both the plaintiffs and defense bars.

A federal judge has thrown out a trade dress suit that the manufacturer of Dixie Cups filed against Huhtamaki Americas, the maker of Chinet, over the design of an insulated paper cup. U.S. District Judge Timothy C.