Eli Lilly Settles 900 Zyprexa Claims

As seen in FDA News

Eli Lilly said it has reached settlement agreements that will resolve approximately 900 lawsuits over its schizophrenia and bipolar disorder drug Zyprexa. This includes four cases that were scheduled for trial in July, the company said.

At the beginning of January, Eli Lilly said it could spend as much as $500 million to settle most of the remaining product liability claims over its antipsychotic Zyprexa (olanzapine). The company estimated then that more than 18,000 claimants had settled, leaving approximately 1,200 claims outstanding, against which it said it would “continue to vigorously defend” itself.

Eli Lilly also said that survey results showed that “fears raised by product liability litigation involving antipsychotic drugs may be putting patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder at risk for relapse.”

According to the company, the survey, which polled among 402 psychiatrists who treat patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, showed that even when patients were responding well to their prescribed antipsychotic treatment, many requested a medication change or stopped taking their medication, often without telling their psychiatrists, “because these drugs are featured in law firm advertisements.”