The Arizona Supreme Court is scheduled to rule Thursday on an appeal in a lawsuit that raised broad consumer rights issues.
A trial judge dismissed a consumer fraud lawsuit which a woman said her lupus was caused by an antibiotic prescribed to treat chronic acne.
However, the Court of Appeals revived the woman's lawsuit against the company that makes and distributes the drug.
The Court of Appeals ruling said prescription drugs are sold like other merchandise and that their sales and advertisements are covered by Arizona's consumer protection law.
The ruling also eliminated an Arizona legal doctrine shielding manufacturers who provide safety information and warnings to doctors and others who sell or distribute products to consumers.
The case has attracted the interest of groups representing plaintiffs' attorneys and business groups.
