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.
>>PRIOR POST (10/3/06): Zyprexa, Risperdal and Seroquel are
less effective, yet more expensive
I have a child who took Zyprexa and Risperdal for years. She has also taken Seroquel. Her weight has zoomed up to 390, and she had developed high blood preessure as well as many other “mystery illnesses” that have yet to be discovered. She has complained of stomack pain for the past three years and she has seen doctor after doctor, but to no avail. I would appreciate any help that you can give me in this matter. She is 23 years old, but she has developmental issues.
Thank you.
She needs to get off Zyprexa and check to see what other medications combined with Zyprexa has side effects. Kansas cares nothing about drugs, as I found out in 2004. Doctor’s just state OH WELL. We used to depend on doctor’s to do the best their Medical Degree and updated Medical training the consumer pays for or their Ins. However, Doctor’s see patient’s as Insurance Companies quota’s allow. The Health Industry (FDA) should be held liable along with Doctor’s and Insurance Co. I studied drugs and the side effects of drugs in Texas, working for a large hospital and saw what effects these drugs had on patients. They made them like vegetables and comatose. I was FORCED to take Zyprexa and Neorontin, Lipitor, because of of incompetent JUDGES and LAWYER’s and Psychiatrist’s. Forced to remain in Kansas yet a TAX PAYER in TEXAS since 1998. Never in my life did I ever imagine this could happen. Not only to me but other’s I was with. Apparently Kansas is such a POOR STATE, they depend on the Mentally Incompetent, and yet No one has done anything to help these people. The Zyprexa – changed my way of thinking and made me a completely different person along with other drug’s. The MISTAKE is their’s and they will pay a very high price for their ignorance. In reply to your daughter. Believe her when she tells you what she is feeling. It has taken me 4 years to return to somewhat normal. These drugs gave me complete amnesia and still I have BLANK spaces I will probably never be able to fill in. Take her to someone dealing in the NATURAL & HEALTHY way of living and get her off of everything she is on. Determine her TRUE DIAGNOSIS. I will never TRUST another DOCTOR, again. Insurance runs the HEALTH SYSTEM, and in my case all will be held accountable. A normal person that has one’s own opnion of his or her way of living should not have her mind taken away by DRUG COMPANIES. Think about it, IF a drug has so many side effects why would anyone want to take it.
Most Mentally ill child, young adult, adult, and older person are on some RX drugs. One’s body chemistry – are all different. A doctor or psychiatrist was once a human being before the training was taken. IF, they will not take the drugs they prescribe, WHY SHOULD YOU. You need to find that(1) person that cares as much for your daughter as you do. I have found that person, and I get better and stronger every day. I am on NOTHING!!
23 years old is to young to be on these life threatening drugs.
Speaking from my own experience,
Charrie Ivie-Jenkins
I have file a lawsuit against Zyprexa and its Manufacturer, for my developmentaly delayed daughter; via our lawyer over 4 years ago. I have heard of the settlement but I have yet to receive my any notification of the amount.
For a company to agree to settle and not pay is just awful. My daughter, like may developmentally delay children/adults are not able/capable to explain every ache and pain. We, the parent, trust in Doctors, Psychartist, and the Medical community to help look out for our well being. But when you depent on someone else to help you, they always fall short. I think that in every situation where there is neglect someone should not only take responsibily, and be accountable, but follow thru with any agreement to settle. And the lawyers representing us should give us a blow by blow accounting of what is happening and pay those who have been harmed by this neglect.
Ms. Blaylock,
You should contact the attorney or lawfirm representing your daughter directly to obtain details regarding the status of the settlement. The finalization of a settlement of this nature and disbursement of funds is often a long process and there are several items which can impact the amount of time it takes. Many of these items are out of the control of the attorney or the defendant/company. However, your attorney should be able to give you a better understanding of what the process will be for the finalization of your daughter’s claim. Good luck.
If 23 is young, my son has taken this drug since the age of 13.
Yes the weight gain was substantial, from looking like a anorexic at around 65 pounds to 225 pounds in around 18 months. He even has stretch marks that were really bright red, now that we have taken him off of the drug they are flesh colored, but you can still see them.
For a boy to have this, along with ADD, ADHD, Bipolar, ADO, conduct disorder, and the rest of his developmental problems it made him very self conscious. With the conduct disorder it just made him meaner because of all the kids teasing him. Now at age 17 it will be hard to keep him out of jail or even out of the hospital.
Like all of you never heard anything from Lawyers that wanted to take his case. I think around 2 years now. We wanted to take money to build him a house on our property, just to keep watch of him so he doesn’t end up hurt or in jail. I know just acting like mother hen, but he is in deisel mechanics to learn trade, but with his mouth we will probably have to build garage so he can work. He is doing very good on hands on but still slow with book work.
I hope we hear something soon.
Zyprexa was the best thing to happen to us, it saved our marriage. My husband was bipolar, high strung angry all the time. After taking Zyprexa it has been 3 years now, a totally different person. Calm, easy going, happier, likes to sit and read, which he could never do before because all the energy he had was really lots of negative energy he could not finish school because he could not sit through a class. He is catching up on years of lost education in reading books which he enjoys. I think it works great. He has had no weight gain problems or health issues. SO it works differnt for different people
[...] as a result of diabetes caused by Zyprexa. Lilly has already agreed to pay a $1.2 billion Zyprexa settlement for 30,000 individual lawsuits filed by users of the drug, and additional cases may still be brought [...]
[...] among all users, not just elderly dementia patients. Eli Lilly and Co. has settled thousands of Zyprexa lawsuits and AstraZeneca Plc is scheduled to being the first Seroquel lawsuits later this [...]
Is there a lawsuit for the spouses also. the lawsuit does not say anything concerning the loss of affection or the loss of his providing for our home. Before this drug he did at least go to work part of the time. Not with all of his problems he barely is able to function which is not a life?
[...] Lilly has previously settled over 30,000 Zyprexa lawsuits brought by individuals who suffered diabetes, pancreatitis and other injuries as a side effect of [...]
Zyprexa ruined my life. At a young age and with two small boys, a Dr prescribed to me this medication in addition to others I had taken for several years. I gained 60 pounds in one year, started to lose my hair, got horrible red marks (stretch marks) on my arms, breasts and abdomen, I did not menstruate for 9 months and THEN, to top it off, I got diabetes!! After 4 yrs and a wise psychiatrist who figured out the connection, I was weened off the drug and the weight came off without even dieting. I now have serious consequences as a result of the diabetes..neuropathy.
[...] settling over 30,000 Zyprexa lawsuits filed by users who alleged that Eli Lilly & Co. failed to adequately warn about side effects [...]
Zyprexa just about killed me, i been talking zyprexa for about,, ,,wow its been so long i cant remember, but i can find out. I have the weight gain, iv had 2 heart attacks, 1st one i had a QUAD bypass open heart surgery, 2nd one i had a stent put in. Right now my heart has a leaking valve, i cant work, my marraige is distroyed and i just found out i have diabetes….iv been through HELL….and i just learned today that its the ZYPREXA….
I’ve been taking Zyprexa for about 2 years now. When I first started taking it I weighed around 125 pounds now I weigh over 180 and have really high blood pressure at only 21 years old. I also have the uncontrollable shaking and stomach pains.
What you can expect from taking Zyprex: Cirrhosis of the liver, Enlargment of the spleen (mine was 5X), Diabetes 2,…among other things.
I have been prescribed Zyprexa for many years for Bipolar Disease. I have developed Diabetes, high weight gain and secondary Parkinsons Disease. Because of the weight gain I was forced to resign my military commision. The Diabetes made my life much more difficult with my limited diet and other problems.
they are settling because the money valkue is a drop in the bucket compared to over all sales of the drug. they knew it was toxic and untested
but they put it on the market anyway backed by advanced marketing strategies sales sky rocketed in amount exceeding 35 billion and counting.
they knew law suit would come they set aside some of that money to shut up the complainers or in the hood terminology (the haters) their lawyers are also waiting in the background to head off any law firm that could file an injunction in federal court halting sales. their lawyers offer pretty gooolooking settlements people are led to believe but this money is less then 1% of annual sales. the lawyers are brilliant because they know with the proper motionsw they could tie up litigation for over a decade if any law firm dares to go to trial. but the eli lilly lawyers are banking on the fact that these lawyers work on a contingency basis meaning if you donot get paid then they don’t get paid. litigation of this magnitude and seriusness could run a law firm in the ground financially so the law firms are quick to settle in order to pay their bills. the company Eli lilly will then make you file a settlement areement of res judicatta meaning once you settle you arebarred fom suinig in the future nor can you talk about the settlement agreement. this is good for Eli Lilly because they can continue to peddle their drug withought no hinderance from that particular law firm. Money aint no issue they make their money back by raisingh prices on that particular medicine or they will raise prices on other medications. The only one making money is the goverment, and the law firms good luck litigants
I have used zyprexa since around 2004 I feel sorry for all the people
that this drug has not worked for.I on the other hand have lost around
50lb I am a diabetic but under well controlled. I guess that Zyprexa
can not be the blame for it because my parents are both diabetics
I take Zyprexa for Schizophrenia and in a sense it work.I suffer
but then thier is no cure for schizophrenia I am limited to very little
activity but before i used to be roughty.I hope all of you get a settlement
but most of all I hope you find some other cure for your illness.
I was prescribed Zyprexa from years 12 to 20. The drug not only caused me to be suicidal, but obese(nearly 300 pounds) and severely dehydrated, an ultra sound shows that I had a heart issue(weakened valve), made my schizophrenia worse and more.