A Georgia federal judge on Monday reportedly denied Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE:TEVA) a request to delay the first trial in thousands of lawsuits alleging its Paragard intrauterine device (IUD) can fracture during removal.

Paragard is a non-hormonal contraceptive device made of copper that can remain implanted for years.

U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May, who is overseeing the consolidated federal litigation, ruled Monday that the trial should proceed as scheduled on January 20.

The company had asked the court to pause the case while it appealed an earlier decision rejecting Teva's attempt to have the claims dismissed.

Teva argued that a successful appeal could have ended the litigation entirely, which includes about 3,800 lawsuits centralized in federal court. Plaintiffs countered that the request was primarily a delay tactic and would unnecessarily stall progress in the case.

The upcoming trial will serve as the first "bellwether" in ...