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
31 Comments • Add Your Comments
Kathran Randolph says:
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.
Posted on January 12, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Charrie Ivie-Jenkins says:
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
Posted on September 2, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Deena Blaylock says:
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.
Posted on September 15, 2007 at 9:48 pm
Austin Kirk says:
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.
Posted on September 17, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Denise says:
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.
Posted on October 18, 2007 at 4:59 am
C. Watkins says:
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
Posted on January 20, 2008 at 9:35 am
R Varnam says:
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?
Posted on August 31, 2008 at 9:23 pm
M. D. S says:
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.
Posted on December 7, 2008 at 10:13 pm
A.S.R says:
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….
Posted on July 15, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Joseph says:
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.
Posted on October 18, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Richard says:
What you can expect from taking Zyprex: Cirrhosis of the liver, Enlargment of the spleen (mine was 5X), Diabetes 2,…among other things.
Posted on October 20, 2009 at 2:19 am
Betty says:
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.
Posted on January 16, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Dennis says:
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
Posted on May 19, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Elegio says:
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.
Posted on August 10, 2010 at 11:04 pm
S.P. says:
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.
Posted on July 22, 2011 at 5:08 am
Renee says:
I was on Zyprexa for 6 months while I was pregnant to control my bipolar disorder. I gained 84 lbs, was diagnosed with diabetes. It took me years to recover from the drug after the birth of my daughter.
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 11:24 pm
Brooks says:
My son took zyprexa for his condition of schizophrenia and bipolarisorders he has developed diabetes and other issues after taking the drug. He needs help!
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 7:48 pm
april says:
My daughter was 11years old when her psychiatrist put her on zyprexa. She was very thin to start with and doubled or even tripled her size. She too had and still has very deep stretch marks all over her body. She also started to see things that were not there. That had never happened before. We then switched her to geadon which she continued to gain weight but a new side effect showed up. Loss of body control followed by muscle rigidness. She is now 22 and is off of any anti psychotics. Unfortunately she has never lost the weight and still has a lot of scars and has had a lot of trouble with boyels…maybe related to weight. Also has developed asthma. I feel bad as a parent trusting in the professionals to help my daughter. I have always felt that i lost who my daughter was that year we started anti psychotics she became a different child what seemed like overnight. I have apologized to her many times. I also have a 12 year old that was just prescribed risperdal and has put on a few pounds and also has developed a bigger chest. I am watching her closer and just learned risperdal is in lawsuits due to side effects. We as parents of mentally challenged kids are so desperate for help we end up just trusting what is advised to us.
Posted on August 27, 2013 at 8:21 pm
thomas says:
My father was taking zypreax for about 3 years, I came home at nighi on oct 14 2007, to find him dead in the bathroom, the death certificate said he died from gastrointestinal bleeding….I think God I found him instead of my mom or sister, I don’t know if there is any thing I can do, or how, …I would love to know if there are any steps I can take..I. think that my family suffered a big lost cause of this drug
Posted on September 27, 2013 at 10:21 pm
Hebrew says:
Cursed be the man that trusts in man.
Posted on January 17, 2014 at 9:58 am
Michael says:
Zyprexa did so much harm to me! I was a handsome, fit 40 year old man when I was put on this drug in late 2002. After I started this drug I gained close to 70 lbs. I would have never taken the drug if I would have been told I would gain all that weight!! Even m after stopping the medication, I couldn’t loose the weight for 10 years until my dermatologist put me on hormone therapy. Once the weight was off, in 2012, I was left with viracose veins in my legs, loose hanging skin, and enlarged male breasts. I asked Lilly for help. It took their lawyers over a year to respond back. They acknowledge the drug did this to me, but won’t help. I keep asking Lilly for help. Their lawyers called me again this week but I’m scared to talk to the. I have horrible anxiety.
Posted on February 11, 2016 at 8:48 pm
James says:
I have been taking zyprexa since 1996, I have experienced some memory loss, an enlarged heart, high blood pressure, and have made suicide attempts,
Posted on March 26, 2016 at 5:13 pm
Kathy says:
I have been on Olanzipine for over five years. I have significantly lost short-term memory and I have high cholesterol. What can you do for me.
Posted on May 22, 2016 at 11:20 am
David says:
So the lawsuit is done? Yet they continue to manufacture and distribute this drug?
I was prescribed the drug and I was a healthy 6 foot 2 inch male 240 lbs.
I was prescribed Zyprexa and ballooned to 310lbs and now have diabetes.
There is no history of diabetes in my family anywhere.
I stopped taking it but I still am battling the weight and am stuck with the disease.
How can one say the lawsuit is settled when the drug is still on the market.
Normal lifespan for a male in my family history is 78-92.
I’m 51 and have been told by 2 doctors that I maybe have 10 years.
Wheres the fucking justice!!
Posted on November 4, 2016 at 9:51 pm
Claudia says:
This drug is a nightmare and dystroys lives, enormous weight gain, hypertension, Tardive Dyskinesia, Akathesia, memory loss, Anxiety, Rage reactions, purple stretch marks, breast enlargement beyond what anyone could imagine, prediabetes, PCOS, overheating with little minimal excercise, it ruins lives!!! It should be taken off the market and any Dr that prescribes it should be sued, license revoked and inprisoned. Any hospital that allows its distribution should be SHUT DOWN! This drug and others like it are crimes against humanity! It is pure poison!
Posted on June 18, 2018 at 11:21 pm
Ryan says:
My gorgeous 35 year old brother who had it all was put on Zyprexa and a week later he committed suicide. This drug is very dangerous and ruins lives.
Posted on May 30, 2019 at 3:40 pm
Andrew says:
Diabetes, Alzheimer’s and covid19 are destroying people worldwide. Moreover not much is done about heroin
Posted on March 17, 2021 at 2:23 am