Zyprexa lawsuit settlements announced by Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly announced at the end of last week that they reached an agreement to settle over 18,000 Zyprexa lawsuits for individuals injured nationwide. When combined with other claims settled in 2005, the drug maker will end up paying at least $1.2 billion to over 28,500 people injured by Zyprexa side effects.
Zyprexa (olanzapine) is an antipsychotic medication which was approved for treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. Zyprexa lawsuits have been filed for users who have developed diabetes and other serious medical conditions after taking the drug. Zyprexa side effects can lead to diabetes, severe weight gain, increases in cholesterol and higher blood-sugar levels.
Despite the adverse effects of Zyprexa which have led to injuries for thousands of users nationwide, the medication remains a best seller for Eli Lilly. Worldwide sales were approximately $4.2 billion last year. Zyprexa law suits allege that the drug maker promoted uses for the medication which were not approved by the FDA and which had not been determined to be safe and effective. In addition, insufficient warnings were provided to users and the medical community.
This latest settlement announcement comes one month after the New York Times reported that they had obtained documentation showing that Eli Lilly intentionally minimimized the Zyprexa side effects when they promoted the drug to doctors. Internal documents indicate that 16% of patients gained over 66 lbs. after taking Zyprexa for one year. This figures is significantly higher than the numbers previously disclosed by the pharmaceutical company.
Even after the settlement of these claims, Eli Lilly continues to face legal troubles. Approximately 1,200 Zyprexa lawsuits are still pending for other users and medical payers are seeking reimbursement for benefits paid. The pharmaceutical company may also face criminal investigations regarding their marketing practices.
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