The pharmaceutical company in charge of marketing the anti-psychotic drug Zyprexa continues to settle massive legal disputes involving more than $1.4 billion in retribution. In January, Eli Lilly and Co. plead guilty to a criminal conviction for falsely marketing the psychotic drug Zyprexa as a sedation tool for unruly nursing home patients. The company also encouraged doctors to prescribe the drug to disruptive children; even after Zyprexa was found to cause severe weight gain and metabolic disorders, particularly in younger patients. The pay-outs are split between state and federal governments and prescribed individuals, with more than $800 million dollars being given to thousands of prescribed patients nationwide.

On April 29, the state of Georgia settled with Eli Lilly and Co for more than $15 million. This figure represents compensation for Medicaid payments on unwarranted Zyprexa prescriptions. Thirty other states have also decided to settle with Eli. Not surprisingly, Zyprexa lawyers nationwide are criticizing the states’ decisions to settle. Having already plead guilty to criminal charges, Eli Lilly and Co. would be at a huge disadvantage in a court of law in front of twelve jurors. Losing in court would force Eli to pay a substantially larger amount to those injured by Zyprexa. For this reason, a dozen states have decided not to settle and are pursuing massive lawsuits against Eli for the company’s blatant disregard for public health and safety. More information about the Zyprexa lawsuits can be found in this 4/29/09 article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Zyprexa, generic name: olanzapine, has FDA approval only for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The FDA bars pharmaceutical companies from promoting drugs for uses not specifically approved by the Federal Drug Administration. Throughout the past decade, the unethical marketing techniques used to promote Zyprexa have exposed tens of thousands of patients nationwide to increased risks of pneumonia, heart failure, and even death, specifically in senior patients. Zyprexa is also linked to heart failure, pneumonia, diabetes, pancreatitis (swelling of the pancreas), hyperglycemia, seizures, and stroke, among other potentially fatal diagnoses. Of these, the most comon side-effect is the development of type 2 diabetes.

A January settlement involving the drug Zyprexa is said to cover about 75 percent of the known Zyprexa claims against the drug company Eli Lilly. Hundreds more are flooding into federal and state courts, with settlement estimates from $5,000 to well over $100,000 a person, depending on the harm suffered.

If you or someone you know has been prescribed the anti-psychotic drug Zyprexa and are experiencing/have experienced any harmful side effects as a result, we strongly encourage you to contact the Zyprexa attorneys at Houssiere, Durant & Houssiere, L.L.P. The attorneys at HDH are experienced in handling cases involving Zyprexa lawsuits, and are currently offering free consultations to anyone who feels they have been unlawfully harmed by the drug.