A key pharmaceutical industry case argued just last week before the Supreme Court ended Monday morning with a loss for the industry. The Court announced it was divided 4-4 in the case Warner-Lambert v. Kent, a split that resulted from the recusal of Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. that deprived the Court of a ninth vote.
According to his financial disclosure form for 2006, Roberts owns between $15,001 and $50,000 in stock in Pfizer, the parent company of Warner-Lambert. The effect of a tie is that the lower court ruling, which went against Warner-Lambert, stands — though it does not create national precedent.
