Pfizer says ruling favorable in NY Celebrex case

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) said on Wednesday a New York State court ruling related to litigation over the company's painkiller Celebrex may cause many cases to be dismissed.

New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich ruled that those suing the drugmaker had failed to present reliable scientific data to prove that the drug, at its most commonly used dose, can cause heart attacks and strokes, the company said in a statement.

That ruling coupled with a similar one in November from the U.S. District Court of Northern California could result in the majority of the Celebrex cases being dismissed, Pfizer said. More than 3,000 plaintiffs have filed federal lawsuits against the drugmaker.

Neither ruling excludes all expert testimony concerning risks at doses higher than 200 milligrams per day, the company said, adding that it intends to challenge the admissibility of evidence that such doses might cause cardiac problems.

"We believe that these rulings will greatly limit the scope of this litigation, and we intend to continue to vigorously defend the cases against us," Pfizer General Counsel Allen Waxman said in statement.

Celebrex is part of the Cox-2 class of painkillers that also includes two drugs no longer on the market: Merck & Co's (MRK.N) Vioxx and Pfizer's Bextra.

Merck agreed to pay $4.85 billion in November to settle most of the claims that Vioxx caused heart attacks and strokes in thousands of users.

(Reporting by Deena Beasley, Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)