[5][6] In September 2010 a federal jury in New Hampshire awarded $21 million to Karen Bartlett, a woman who developed Stevens–Johnson syndrome/Toxic epidermal necrolysis as a result of taking a generic brand of sulindac manufactured by Mutual Pharmaceuticals for her shoulder pain.

The case had been appealed to the United States Supreme Court, where the main issue was whether federal law preempts Ms. Bartlett's claim.

[8] [9] Rxn of p-fluorobenzyl chloride (1) with the anion of diethylmethyl malonate (2) gives intermediate diester (3), saponification of which and subsequent decarboxylation leads to 4.

{Alternatively it can be formed by Perkin reaction between p-fluorobenzaldehyde and propionic anhydride in the presence of NaOAc, followed by catalytic hydrogenation of the olefinic bond using a palladium on carbon catalyst.}

A Reformatsky reaction with zinc amalgam and bromoacetic ester leads to carbinol (5), which is then dehydrated with tosic acid to indene 6.