Drug Company 'Eli Lilly' In Advanced Settlement Talks with Federal Investigators

-Tech News

02/27/2008 - Schizophrenia is a mental illness that affects over 2 million people in the U.S. Symptoms include severely impaired thinking, emotions, and behaviors. Typically, its onset is between the ages of 16 and 25 and about $70 billion is spent each year to treat the disease.

Bipolar mania is another mental illness that affects about three percent of US population. Symptoms include unusual shifts in mood and energy, increased irritability, and racing thoughts.

Zyprexa was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000 for treatment of schizophrenia and severe bipolar disorder. It is manufactured by the drug company Eli Lilly and is heavily promoted by the company. About four million prescriptions for Zyprexa were written in the U.S. last year.

The drug is Eli Lilly’s most profitable product with $4.8 billion in sales in 2007.

However, Zyprexa is associated with severe weight gain that can lead to diabetes. Because of this, Eli Lily has been accused of failing to warn patients about side effects. In fact, they have already paid over $1 billion to settle 30,000 lawsuits from patients who claim to have developed diabetes after taking Zyprexa.

Unfortunately for Eli Lilly, their problems do not stop there. The drug manufacturer has also been the subject of a four year federal investigation and 30 state probes (Associated Press, January 30, 2008). They have been accused of fraudulent marketing practices for promoting Zyprexa to treat symptoms and diseases other than those approved by the FDA. By law, drug makers cannot promote a drug for uses other than those approved by the FDA. However, internal Eli Lilly documents showed that they were actively promoting the drug for dementia, which is related to loss of intellectual abilities such as memory loss.

About 1% of populations over 60 years of age suffer from dementia. This disease is not due to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Regardless, Eli Lilly targeted primary care doctors to market Zyprexa for treatment of dementia. The strategy was successful in advancing the company’s profit margin.

A grand jury subpoena last year opened the door for indictment of Eli Lilly. As a result, they are currently in advanced settlement talks with the federal investigators

If you are currently taking Zyprexa and have concerns about its safetly, you should consult with your doctor regarding your treatment options. Under no circumstances should you discontinue taking any medication, including Zyprexa, without first consulting with your doctor. For Zyprexa legal information contact the Zyprexa Attorneys of Ennis & Ennis, P.A. by filling out our free Zyrpexa case evaluation form or by calling the toll-free number listed below.