Abilify Reaches Settlement With 43 States, Including PA
by Mark Abrams
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The makers of Abilify have agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and attorneys general in 42 other states including New Jersey and Delaware.
Jessie Smith, a Senior Deputy Attorney General for Pennsylvania, says the $19.5 million settlement with Bristol Myers-Squibb settles complaints about deceptive marketing of the drug to doctors and patients.
"They were marketing it for many things beyond schizophrenia, which was its indication when it fist went on to the market in 2002, including uses for children," said Smith.
Smith says the drug was never approved by the Food and Drug Administration for children.
She says Bristol Myers-Squibb also promoted Abilify for patients with dementia and Alzheimer's, without FDA approvals.
In fact, she says the FDA issued a warning 10 years ago that use of Abilify for elderly patients increased the risk of death.
Smith says Pennsylvania gets $745,000 from the settlement fund which will be put into consumer drug protection efforts.