The Associated Press
Sunday, January 9, 2000

An Ohio couple has sued the makers of Ritalin, alleging that the drug caused their daughter's death four years ago.

Janet and Michael Hall are seeking more than $50,000 from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. for the death of their 11-year-old daughter, Stephanie Marie Hall.

Stephanie took the medicine to treat an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

She died in January 1996, a day after her physician doubled her Ritalin dosage, said Steven Okey, the Halls' attorney. The couple blames the drug for the rapid heartbeat that caused Stephanie's death.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Stark County Common Pleas Court, accuses the East Hanover company of producing a defective product and concealing adverse reactions and Ritalin-related deaths.

Novartis officials said they could not comment on the lawsuit, but they did issue a statement that said Ritalin is a safe and effective therapy for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

About 2 million to 3 million patients in the United States take Ritalin or its generic equivalent to help treat the disorder, the company said.