An Ohio woman who claimed that the hormone replacement drug Prempro caused her breast cancer was awarded $3 million after a Philadelphia jury determined earlier this week that the drug’s manufacturer, Wyeth, was liable for her personal injuries. The personal injury attorneys of 67-year-old Jennie Nelson claimed that Wyeth knew for decades that the drug caused breast cancer, did not warn patients and rather minimized such risks. Nelson, a resident of Dayton, took Prempro for five years to treat symptoms of menopause and was later diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, according to an Associated Press story. The Philadelphia jury specifically found that Wyeth failed to provide an adequate warning to Nelson about these side effects.

Wyeth has been hit with more than 5,000 product liability lawsuits over its hormone replacement drugs Prempro and Premarin. Earlier this month, an Arkansas woman was awarded the first major plaintiff victory in these Prempro product liability suits when she was given $1.5 million. Nelson had originally been awarded an $1.5 million personal injury verdict last fall, but the judge declared a mistrial. Wyeth said that it respectfully disagrees with Tuesday’s jury finding that Prempro caused Nelson’s cancer and plans to appeal.

Wyeth has now won and lost two of these product liability cases, according to the Associated Press story. A recent Bloomberg.com story estimates that six million women took Prempro to treat menopause prior to a 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study which revealed such risks. Both Prempro and Premarin are still on the market and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).