The litigation over the Zostavax shingles vaccine is facing another setback after a federal judge tossed the plaintiff’s only causation expert from an upcoming bellwether trial.

On Oct. 4, U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania granted Merck’s motion to exclude the testimony of plaintiff’s expert Dr. Joseph Jeret under the standards outlined in Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence and Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals.