The Zyprexa Chronicles: "This Is A Safety Issue"

There is now online a complete transcript of the two-day hearing on January 16th and 17th concerning Eli Lilly's attempt to end dissemination of the recently-leaked Zyprexa documents. If you are legal dork, and I am, then they are fascinating reading. In the midst of being asked how she obtained the documents, Vera Sharav, who heads the Alliance for Human Research Protection, gave answer that went much further:

VERA SHARAV: "My interest is the content because the documents document the fact that Eli Lilly knew that the -- that Zyprexa causes diabetes. They knew it from a group of doctors that they hired who told them you have to come clean. That was in 2000. And instead of warning doctors who are widely prescribing the drug, Eli Lilly set about in an aggressive marketing campaign to primary doctors. Little children are being given this drug. Little children are being exposed to horrific diseases that end their lives shorter. Now, I consider that a major crime and to continue to conceal these facts from the public is I think really not in the public interest. This is a safety issue."

MR. LEHNER [Lilly's lawyer]: "I move to strike as being nonresponsive to my last question and I would like to ask the court reporter if he is able to -- I think I remember my last question. I'll repeat my last question. Nonetheless, I'll make a motion to strike the last answer."

THE COURT [Judge Weinstein]: "Denied."

Judge Weinstein is reviewing briefs from the various parties to Lilly's attempt to unring the bell that was rung when the documents were leaked to the New York Times and is expected to issue a final ruling on the status of the documents from what's now called the Zyprexa I case (the 2005 settlement with 8,000 plaintiffs) in the next couple of weeks. Here is AHRP's brief, which is smoking hot.

One other thing that struck me from Sharav's testimony is that she provided copies of the documents to the Wall Street Journal and the Bloomberg wire service. To date, I don't know of any thorough, original reporting done by either organization based upon the documents. If anyone knows differently, let me know.