ZYPREXA SETTLEMENT FOR CAUSING DIABETES: ELI LILLY PAYS $15 MILLION
In March of this year, Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of the schizophrenia drug Zyprexa, agreed to pay a settlement to the state of Alaska for causing resident patients to develop diabetes. As mentioned in previous blogs, Zyprexa (olzanapine) is an anti-psychotic used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Since 2002, reports of Zyprexa causing diabetes, severe weigh gain, high cholesterol, and other problems surfaced. Since last year, Lilly has paid out over $1 billion to individuals suffering the adverse side effects of Zyprexa.
The settlement in the Alaska case came just 3 weeks after the start of the trial. Alaska is home to only 670,000 people, and the large payout is a surprise. Other states are seeking claims against the Zyprexa maker in order to recover money for its residents’ Medicaid bills.
Sales of Zyprexa were $4.8 billion in 2007, and over 23 million people have taken Zyprexa since its original FDA approval in 1996. In the trial, prosecutors contended that Eli Lilly downplayed Zyprexa’s risks to protect sales. Evidence also suggested that the drug-maker encouraged the prescribing of Zyprexa for ailments other than what the FDA had approved. Lilly admitted no wrongdoing.
Click here to read the joint statement released by Eli Lilly and the state of Alaska.
If you or a loved one has suffered side effects after taking Zyprexa, you need the help of a lawyer now. In California, contact the law offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for your free and confidential information session now. Let us help you understand your rights and seek the justice you deserve. Don’t hesitate to call 1-800-ALAWPRO now.
