OTHER NEWS - June 1, 1996

Court-Appointed Experts to Review Implant Claims: A federal judge in Birmingham, Ala., overseeing thousands of the silicone-implant lawsuits ruled that a panel of six neutral observers will pick the scientific experts who will review the evidence. The judge’s move stems from concerns over the time and expense of trying the individual suits, given the complex and often conflicting scientific evidence offered by both sides. Implant manufacturers including Dow Corning Corp., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Baxter International Inc. maintain that studies have shown implants are safe. Plaintiffs’ experts say those studies are flawed because they are only designed to identify classic symptoms of the autoimmune disorders suspected in implant recipients. U.S. District Judge Sam Pointer gave the parties until June 10 to object to the panel.