{
  "id": 2250113,
  "title": "Abbott to pay $670 million to settle some preterm infant formula cases",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/abbott-to-pay-670-million-to-settle-some-preterm-infant-formula-cases",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-20T23:12:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Investing.com",
    "slug": "investing-com",
    "url": "https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/abbott-agrees-to-670-million-settlement-of-infant-formula-cases-4870546"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Abbott has agreed to a $670 million settlement to address pending litigation over potential harms associated with its specialty formulas intended for preterm infants. The settlement was reached by three law firms representing approximately 2,000 plaintiffs, including a mother from Illinois who received a $495 million judgment in 2024 after a jury found that Abbott's formula caused her daughter to develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a severe bowel condition. Abbott has not admitted liability, stating it remains confident in the safety of its infant formula products. The settlement marks a significant step towards resolving the broader litigation. Incidents of NEC, which primarily affect premature newborns, have a mortality rate exceeding 20%, and the companies maintain that their formulas do not cause the disease, emphasizing the benefits of breast milk. While the settlement impacts about 1,700 lawsuits against Abbott and Mead Johnson, the total number of claims could reach 12,700, including duplicate filings and cases involving infants who developed NEC before consuming formula. Abbott is working to eliminate redundant and unsupported claims. Despite the litigation, Abbott's CEO suggested in 2024 that the preterm products might be discontinued due to legal issues. Regulatory agencies and a National Institutes of Health group reported in 2024 that higher NEC rates are primarily linked to the absence of breast milk rather than formula use. The affected products are cow's milk-based and fortifying formulas for hospitalized infants, not regular consumer formulas. More than 825 federal cases have been consolidated in a Chicago courtroom, with thousands of additional cases ongoing in state courts in Illinois, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. Mixed trial outcomes have been observed, with some juries favoring the manufacturers and others supporting the plaintiffs. The first federal bellwether case against Mead Johnson is currently underway in Chicago, following earlier dismissed federal cases.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}