Daubert Hearings for Valsartan Cancer Lawsuit Bellwether Trials to Begin Aug. 26

First Valsartan cancer bellwether trial is expected to begin on September 8, to help gauge how juries may respond to evidence and testimony in hundreds of lawsuits over contaminants in the recalled blood pressure drug.

Lawyers for plaintiffs and defendants will present additional evidence and arguments next week to the U.S. District Judge presiding over all federal Valsartan cancer lawsuits, regarding the admissibility of key expert witness testimony expected to be offered in the first bellwether trial, which is set to begin September 8, 2025.

Generic manufacturers of recalled versions of the popular blood pressure drug currently face more than 1,300 product liability lawsuits filed in recent years, each raising similar allegations that former users developed various forms of cancer after exposure to chemical contaminants in Valsartan pills, including liver cancer, colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, esophageal cancer and other malignancies.

Plaintiffs began filing complaints after a series of Valsartan recalls in late 2018, when it was discovered that changes to the manufacturing process by certain generic drug makers led to the development of a toxic chemical by-products in the pills, including N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) and other contaminants that are known human carcinogens.

Given similar allegations raised in lawsuits filed throughout the federal court system, all claims have been centralized before U.S. District Judge Renee Bumb in the District of New Jersey, where the Court is planning to hold several “waves” of early bellwether trials, to help gauge how juries are likely to respond to certain evidence and testimony that will be repeated throughout the litigation.

The first Valsartan bellwether trial is expected to get underway on Monday, September 8, 2025, involving claims brought by Gaston Roberts, who developed liver cancer after using versions of the drug that were later recalled.

However, before the case gets underway, Judge Bumb must rule on a number of “Daubert” motions, which challenge the admissibility of certain expert witness testimony that each side intends to present. The Court will evaluate whether the opinions offered are sufficiently sound and based on solid scientific findings to allow the jury to consider the evidence.

In a court order (PDF) issued late last month, Judge Bumb indicated that the first Valsartan Daubert hearings will begin on August 26, immediately after which she will hear oral arguments supporting motions for summary judgment filed by both sides.

If no summary judgment is issued in the claim brought by Roberts, the jury will begin hearing evidence and testimony a few weeks later.

Following that first bellwether trial, Judge Bumb has ordered the parties to prepare a second “wave” of early test cases, which are likely to begin in late January or early February 2026.

While the outcome of these Valsartan lawsuit bellwether trials will not have any binding impact on other remaining claims, they will be closely watched and the average payouts awarded by juries could influence how much the drug makers may have to pay to settle each individual Valsartan cancer claim.

Following the second wave of bellwether trials, if agreements are not reached to resolve large numbers of claims pending in the Valsartan MDL, it is expected that Judge Bumb may begin remanding large numbers of claims back to U.S. District Courts nationwide for individual trial dates throughout the federal court system in the coming years.