NOTICE: The supervisory panel has recently published an article in the American Journal of Cardiology entitled " Bjork-Shiley Convexo-Concave Heart Valve Experience from the Perspective of the Supervisory Panel ". The 20-year activities of the medical supervisory panel appointed under the terms of a settlement agreement of the Bowling v. Pfizer suit involving the Bjork-Shiley convexo-concave heart valve are detailed. The article is provided in its entirety on this website by clicking on " Key Documents ".
In 1992, Pfizer Inc. and Shiley Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer Inc., negotiated a settlement with members of the Bowling class in the case called Arthur Ray Bowling, et al. v. Pfizer Inc., et al. , C-1-91-256, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Western Division, currently assigned to the Honorable Herman J. Weber.
The Bowling class members were recipients of a mechanical heart valve manufactured by Shiley known as the Björk-Shiley Convexo-Concave (BSCC) who claimed that the heart valve was defective due to a small, but potentially catastrophic risk of strut fracture. The class is defined under the settlement agreement ( .tif format - .pdf format ) as "all living persons currently implanted with C/C heart valves and their current spouses" as of January 23, 1992, except those persons who opted out (excluded themselves)