A Philadelphia jury awarded three women $72.6 million in their cases against Pfizer drug company for its marketing of a dangerous drug. Susan Elfont, Bernadette Kalenkoski and Judy Mulderig developed breast cancer after taking the hormone replacement drugs Prempro, Provera and Premarin during menopause. None of the women had a family history of cancer.

Sale of menopause-related drugs topped $2 billion before a Women's Health Institute study linked the drugs to increased incidence of cancer in 2002. The drugs were used to treat hot flashes and mood swings and were taken by more than 6 million women.

Pfizer has faced a number of lawsuits regarding Prempro (a combination of Provera and Premarin). It's lost 10 of the 18 cases that have gone to jury trial since 2006, but Pfizer has gotten some of those verdicts thrown out or awards reduced. It's also filed appeals.

This case is also not done, as the jury must now decide on liability for damages.

In May of 2011, Pfizer announced that it had settled a third of the pending Prempro cases and had set aside a fund to resolve future claims.

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek, "Pfizer ordered by jury to pay $72.6 million in Prempro Case," by Jef Feeley, Chris Yasiejko and Phil Milford, December 7, 2011.