Eli Lilly Owes $1.4B Over "Off Label" Use
Alicia Adams started taking Zyprexa for bipolar disorder when she was just 18 years old. In a matter of months, she ballooned from 93 pounds to 170 and developed severe diabetes.
"The depression got worse," she said. "I closed myself off from everyone - stayed in my bedroom. I didn't do much of anything."
Thursday, Eli Lilly, which makes Zyprexa, plead guilty to charges so egregious they're criminal: marketing the sometimes dangerous drug in ways never proven safe or effective, CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.
Zyprexa is only FDA-approved to treat a specific bipolar disorder and severe schizophrenia. But millions have taken it for unapproved or so-called "off label" use, including:
children in foster care
people who have trouble sleeping
elderly in nursing homes.
Prosecutors say Eli Lilly engaged an army of thousands of sales representatives in widespread illegal marketing.
They were "trained to use the slogan 'five at five,' meaning five milligrams at 5 o'clock at night will keep these elderly patients quiet," said Laurie Magid, acting U.S. Attorney for the eastern district of Pennsylvania.
Problem is: Zyprexa has serious side effects including weight gain, diabetes, even heart failure.
Shahram Ahari is a former Eli Lilly sales rep and told his story for an education project for doctors.
"Seizures, things like that have happened as well. And those are, you know, pretty catastrophic side effects to have in your patient," Ahari said.
Eli Lilly has agreed to pay $1.4 billion, including the largest criminal fine ever imposed on a corporation. Ironically, that's about as much as the company's Zyprexa sales in the first quarter last year.
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. "The depression got worse," she said. "I closed myself off from everyone - stayed in my bedroom. I didn't do much of anything."
Thursday, Eli Lilly, which makes Zyprexa, plead guilty to charges so egregious they're criminal: marketing the sometimes dangerous drug in ways never proven safe or effective, CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.
Zyprexa is only FDA-approved to treat a specific bipolar disorder and severe schizophrenia. But millions have taken it for unapproved or so-called "off label" use, including:
Prosecutors say Eli Lilly engaged an army of thousands of sales representatives in widespread illegal marketing.
They were "trained to use the slogan 'five at five,' meaning five milligrams at 5 o'clock at night will keep these elderly patients quiet," said Laurie Magid, acting U.S. Attorney for the eastern district of Pennsylvania.
Problem is: Zyprexa has serious side effects including weight gain, diabetes, even heart failure.
Shahram Ahari is a former Eli Lilly sales rep and told his story for an education project for doctors.
"Seizures, things like that have happened as well. And those are, you know, pretty catastrophic side effects to have in your patient," Ahari said.
Eli Lilly has agreed to pay $1.4 billion, including the largest criminal fine ever imposed on a corporation. Ironically, that's about as much as the company's Zyprexa sales in the first quarter last year.
ALOT OF THE VICTIMS NEVER GOT ANY OF THE SETTLEMENT MONEY FROM ELI LILLY, CERTAIN LAW FIRMS KEPT A LARGE PORTION OF THE MONEY. I AM ONE OF THOSE VICTIMS WHO NEVER GOT A DIME FOR MY INJURIES. THE ATTORNEYS KEPT MY SETTLEMENT MONEY. PLEASE SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO. CHRISTINA
Multiple diseases often co-exist in a single client. Co-existing disorders, commonly termed Dual Diagnosis, can be identified during the evaluation process. Some clients may well have mental health issues that have been unaddressed and overshadowed by addiction.
They gave me zyprexa for excessive beer drinking disease. I didnt get infomed consent to treatment.
"Oceanside treatment center juno beach" Florida. Wanted me to take seroquel with the threat of discharge !
When healthcare professionals are allowed to practice off-label prescribing, tragedies are inevitable. There are very serious risks associated with Seroquel, including diabetes mellitus (commonly referred to as Type 2 Diabetes or Adult Onset Diabetes), tardive dyskinesia, pancreatitis and liver disease. There are hundreds of adolescents prescribed Seroquel whose lives were cut short or who must now live with serious and often permanent health complications.
"Dual diagnosis disease" nueroleptics No thanks !
ZYPREXA AND many Others preparations have been attempted with the patient Mr. AAA in the last decades, we have to stop this drugs!
More information of Mr. innocent AAA on
www.FREEABDULLE.info
IT IS CHOKING HISTORY
do not go to this links
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Posted by lennypw at 1:21 PM : Jan 17, 2009
Try reading the article again--its much worse than that. Lillys made 1.5 billion in the last Quarter--to find out how much they made in 1 year--multiply by 4 or 6 billion in one year. To find out how much they made over all--theoretically take 6 BILLION X how ever long the drug has been on the market--THAT is how much they made. Now subtract the 1.4 billion from the total and that is how much of what they made, they kept .
------------------ (Don''''t know why. The ABC News has blocked my ids from posting comments ...
This is one of the reasons I watch CBS and am a regular reading this web site. While things are not perfect on CBS I know that Couric wanted openness and freedom when she took over as the anchor. So far CBS has been happy to go along with the idea of truth in feedback. They need to try harder on stories that ruffle the feathers of government and big business but for a commercial enterprise they are doing pretty good. I hope they keep it up and that you keep on posting honest opinions
THIS $1.4B FINE IS FOR WHAT THEY DID BEFORE IT WAS LEGAL.
I have a son who at 3yrs old was diagnosed with bipolar. Through out the years he has taken many medications and Zyprexa was one of them. He too gained quit a bit of weight on the medicine and had a few heart problems. He is also has ADHD, ODD, some Anxiety and Depression.
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Any doctor diagnosing a three year old with bipolar should be questioned. Bipolar usually develops in older teenagers and young adults.
I''m posting the link of a very informative article on WebMD:
http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/guide/bipolar-children-teens