Seroquel Lawsuits are still being reviewed
Since early 2006, the lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. have been representing individuals diagnosed with diabetes, pancreatitis and other side effects of Seroquel. While the legal claims are moving through the court systems nationwide, new Seroquel lawsuits are still being reviewed and investigated.
>>INFORMATION: Seroquel Lawsuits
Seroquel, known generically as quetiapine fumarate, is manufactured by AstraZeneca. The medication is approved for treatment of schizophrenia, but it is often prescribed “off-label” for other uses including anxiety, dementia, obsessive compulsive disorders and autism. Seroquel side effects have been linked to an increased risk of diabetes and severe weight gain, which have led to serious medical complications for thousands of people.
It is part of a newer class of medications often referred to as an “atypical antipsychotic.” Zyprexa, another atypical antipsychotic manufactured by Eli Lilly, was tied to a similar risk and the manufacturer has agreed to pay over $1.2 billion to settle Zyprexa lawsuits for over 28,500 people.
>>PRIOR POST (1/8/2007): Zyprexa settlement
The first Seroquel lawsuits are expected to begin by Fall 2008 in several states. Thousands of pages of documents have been reviewed as part of the Seroquel litigation and depositions of many company witnesses have already been taken. The evidence is overwhelming that AstraZenica knew about the risk of Seraquel side effects, yet continued to heavily market their drug without proper warnings.
Seroquel is one of the best selling drugs for AstraZeneca, with sales of over $3 billion per year worldwide. As recently as November 2006, the FDA expressed concerns to AstraZeneca that some of their marketing materials were “false and misleading.” The federal drug regulators indicated that the company was improperly attempting to minimize the seroquel diabetes side effects and failed to adequately discuss the risk of serious muscular conditions, such as tardive dyskinesia, which could result from the drug.
AstraZeneca has heavily marketed the drug for “off-label” uses which are beyond what was approved by the FDA as a safe and effective treatment. Some experts have estimated that as much as 70% of all Seroquel prescriptions were “off-label” for unapproved uses. This has exposed people to the risk of Seroquel side effects such as diabetes, when they may not have received the drug if they had been properly warned of the dangers.
SEROQUEL LAWSUITS
The Seroquel lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are continuing to review and investigate new claims for individuals who have taken Seroquel and suffered:
- Diabetes
- Pancreatitis
- Tardive Dyskinesia
- Death
If you, a friend or family member have experienced any of these Seroquel problems, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.
