Manhattan, Long Island, New York Accident News

Eli Lilly to Settlement Over Zyprexa

Posted on Feb 03, 2009

Eli Lilly, the drug company, has agreed to a settlement of approximately $1.4 billion for criminal and civil charges that it illegally marketed the antipsychotic drug Zyprexa for unauthorized use in patients who were vulnerable to its unsafe side effects.

Lilly has been accused of persuading doctors to prescribe Zyprexa to children and the elderly, even though the drug was not federally approved for those two groups of patients.

According to court documents, during one marketing effort, Lilly marketed Zyprexa to geriatricians as a way to sedate unruly nursing home patients so that there would be a reduction in “nursing time and effort.” Zyprexa is unlike other antipsychotic drugs in that it has serious side effects including sudden death, heart failure and life-threatening infections like pneumonia in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis.

Lilly also encouraged doctors to prescribe Zyprexa to disruptive children, despite the fact that the drug is known to cause severe weight gain and metabolic disorders that is particularly pronounced in children. Over the last ten years, the use of Zyprexa among children has increased dramatically.

The $1.4 billion settlement is a record sum for so-called whistle-blower cases, which are federal lawsuits initiated by information from current or former employees of the company. The whistle-blowers for this case have not been revealed to the public.

For years, Lilly executives have claimed that the company’s marketing efforts of Zyprexa were legal and appropriate. Angela Sekson, a Lilly spokeswoman, was asked whether she could repeat those same assurances, but she said, “it would be inappropriate for me to comment further right now.”

Even though Lilly has agreed to the settlement, it doesn’t mean that doctors will stop prescribing the drug to elderly patients and children. Physicians have the right to prescribe medications as they see fit. However, Lilly will no longer be able to promote Zyprexa for uses other than what has been approved by the FDA.