BRIEFLY : Court Refuses to Delay First Shiley Valve Trial

An appeals court has ruled against a motion by Shiley Inc. to delay the first in a series of trials related to a potentially defective heart valve.

About 300 recipients have died since it was discovered that the valve, made by Shiley, includes a strut that has a tendency to break, causing the device to fail.

The ruling on Thursday paves the way for the first of at least six trials in Orange County Superior Court. Barring a settlement in the case, the first trial, in which San Diego valve recipient Ruth Barillas is suing the company, is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, said James Capretz, an attorney for several of the plaintiffs.

Though Barillas is the first recipient to go to trial, there have been more than 300 settlements with Irvine-based Shiley, a subsidiary of Pfizer Inc.