The first of the Lipitor diabetes lawsuits filed by women across the country may be ready to go to trial next summer.

Federal judge Richard Gergel, presiding over nearly 500 product liability lawsuits against Lipitor maker Pfizer Inc., indicated the possibility of the upcoming trial from Lipitor lawsuits centralized in South Carolina as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL). According to the case management order issued last month, the first trial in the Lipitor MDL will begin on or after July 1, 2015.

The central subject of the Lipitor lawsuits involve allegations that women developed diabetes from side effects of the drug. Recent medical studies have linked Lipitor to an increased risk of diabetes in middle-aged and older women. As one of the best-selling prescription medications in the world, Lipitor has been prescribed to millions of women to help them lower their cholesterol and their risk for heart attack and stroke.

After an extensive study conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and several other research institutes, Pfizer updated Lipitor’s warning label in February 2012 to include that Lipitor may cause glucose levels to rise, which could lead to type-2 diabetes. However, the label still does not specifically describe or mention type-2 diabetes, and reportedly uses vague medical terminology.

Prior to the label change, neither the medical community nor the public reportedly knew about the potential link between Lipitor and type-2 diabetes. After this label was released, many filed Lipitor lawsuits against Pfizer alleging negligence, and demanded that the drug labeling be updated so that the general population could understand the risks.

In order to increase the efficiency and coordination of Lipitor lawsuits, legal procedures allow plaintiffs to file new Lipitor lawsuits directly in the MDL rather than having different lawsuits in various district courts throughout the country.