Zyprexa: Jury Verdicts

Eli Lilly a known name in the US pharmaceutical industry was forced to appear before the court after product liability litigation was levied on the same. It was regarding Zyprexa, an antipsychotic drug sold under the generic name olanzapine. This was in 2005 and covered more than 8000 cases only in US. The settlements aimed at settling both the lawsuits filed in the federal as well as state product liability courts. These even aimed at settling the physicians free from any such claims that were more than 18000 in number. There were many settlements which surfaced, few that earned much hype are as follows:

Settlement amount given as $500 million

Not disclosing the actual amount, but Eli Lilly in 2006 paid an amount of about $500 million for settling around 18000 cases. Prior to this there came news that the firm settled 8000 cases for an amount of $700 million. When the number of claims and amount was compared, the latter was obviously far lesser, but the real reason even after constant asking remained hidden.

Another case was where Eli Lilly settled about 75% claims made against Zyprexa

Back in 2005, Eli Lilly made announcements for making settlements in over 75% cases that plaintiffs filed following the severe side effects of Zyprexa. The drug where the warnings were given out in 2003 required 2 more years to actually involve the guilty in action. FDA recognized Zyprexa linked to severe complications like hyperglycemia, intense imbalance in blood sugar levels, pancreatitis and birth defects in infants whose mother took these drugs. This settlement may have been an extraordinary one but it marked the beginning of the legal woes that started. This settlement was followed by numerous claims made against the makers. Many cases have been settled. But some are still being tried in the court of law.

Some jury verdicts that made headlines include:

$700 million given as settlement amount in a case settled by Eli Lilly in June 2005
In April 2005, a verdict forced all anti-psychotic drug manufacturers to add to their drugs a black box warning for its link with causing severe complications among patients.
A report published in Forbes in October 2004 stated that Zyprexa was increasingly at risk of causing rapid weight gain and heart attack among patients administering the same and needs a strict step for rectifying this dreaded issue.
The main consternation that raised the doubts on Eli Lilly was if the company actually tried to cheat the public. The company’s lack of warning was the factor that affected so many out there. Eli Lilly’s failure to warn doctors and patients about the complications of Zyprexa was enough to make them pay for not giving the complete information about the drug.

The ‘Dear Doctor’ letter, which was finally sent to healthcare experts, was a step that the company took very late. Some losses Zyprexa did can never be compensated. However, plaintiffs with the support from law can find some justice by making the manufacturers pay for their mistakes.

Anyone who has suffered such loss can immediately contact an attorney who is an expert in dealing with all such allegations made against unsafe drugs. Experienced professionals can walk with you through the entire process and can help you get the compensation. The loss Zyprexa has done to the lives of many cannot be reversed, but public do get aware about common mistakes that sometimes take a dangerous turn.

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