The criminal charges are well deserved.

"...Every day and with every interaction we strive to operate in a responsible and compliant manner..."

What a cunt! I hope The Leach (as he shall henceforth be known, if only to me), didn't write this... The way it's phrased, it's as if acting responsibly and with compliance is some unattainable ideal, which plays second fiddle to the business of supplying Class A narcotics to the CIA! It does? Oh, well, what the fuck, eh?

Matt

While there has been considerable coverage of the federal and state litigation, there has been no press coverage which considered why the number of individuals pursuing Zyprexa claims is relatively small. Given Zyprexa's widespread on-label and off-label use one would have expected more individual litigants. There were approximately 52,000 Vioxx claimants. In contrast, there have been less than 32,000 Zyprexa claimants.

I would hate to think that Lilly believes it is benefiting from the fact that those injured are so often disempowered, ex. persons coping with mental illnesses, Alzheimer's or dementia and children, therefore, less likely to seek redress.

Well, a slap on the hand is better than nothing though it's certainly not justice. If they couldn't get out of publically admitting to a misdemeanor, the criminal acts they were really busted for must have been big.

I agree, Sally. It certainly isn't justice. I emailed the DOJ about sixty times, urging them t o bring real criminal charges, and to establish a means-tested victims' fund for those who were killed or got diabetes but whose settlements in the mass tort cases were totally pitiful. What kind of fool was I. My friends whose sons were also killed are sick at heart. There is no joy to be had ....Lilly figured out how much money they could lose (lives - doesn't count) and they are losing it. Look at their profit in comparison! There are a few more outstanding cases wending their way and I hope they are whoppers - since the absolute only thing Lilly cares about is money, I hope they get hit hard by the remaining suits. As far as how many people got diabetes and didn't sue, or died and their families didn't sue,who knows. A LOT of early cases involved people who were mentally ill with diabetes on SSI, so at least some of the "least able" got involved, e ven if their settlements added up to, say, $10,000.

NAMI press release of December 1, 1997:

New Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs Recommended As First-line Medications For People With Serious Brain Disorders

New Drugs Safer and Provide Unrivaled Benefits, Experts Reveal
in NAMI Decade of the Brain

ARLINGTON, VA – Thanks to a new generation of atypical antipsychotic drug therapies, millions of Americans suffering from severe brain disorders can lead more independent lives today without the devastating physical side effects of older medications, reports the fall issue of The Decade of the Brain, a quarterly science-based publication of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). Six breakthrough atypical antipsychotic drugs are profiled, including clozapine (Clozaril), risperidone (Risperdal), olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel), sertindole (Serlect), and ziprasidone (Zeldox).

In this latest issue, experts specializing in the areas of psychiatry, neurology, pharmacology and radiology outline what is known to date on the new antipsychotics, giving readers an accurate and objective clinical picture of what can be expected from therapy.

In his introductory article, guest writer Jeffrey Lieberman, M.D., asserts that while these drugs are not a cure, they could effectively limit the symptoms of psychiatric illnesses and their constraints on individuals. Lieberman also contends that these medications would help first-episode patients, and that those who have not responded to conventional treatment escape many of the devastating effects of a serious brain disorder and improve their long-term outcome. An additional benefit of atypical antipsychotics is increased patient compliance due to a decrease in potential side effects and severity of subsequent episodes.

"The introduction of atypical antipsychotics as first-line medications represents an unrivaled turning point for the more than five million Americans suffering from the most debilitating brain disorders," said NAMI Executive Director Laurie Flynn. "The new drugs offer these individuals renewed hope and exciting new possibilities for full and productive lives. Unfortunately, however, far too many people with chronic mental illnesses are denied access to these life-changing remedies."

NAMI opposes limiting the availability of advanced medications for individuals with severe brain disorders and believes anyone with serious mental illness should be entitled to an individual treatment plan responsive to that person’s changing needs. The American Psychiatric Association (APA), the nation’s largest professional psychiatric society, advocates a similar philosophy. Earlier this year, in fact, the APA issued treatment guidelines for schizophrenia stating that new atypical antipsychotics plus some older medicines are all reasonable first-line medications for patients in acute phases of the disease.

"Just like other debilitating physical illnesses, early diagnosis and prompt medical intervention are the keys to successfully treating severe brain disorders," said Flynn. The treatment success rate for schizophrenia is 60 percent, 65 percent for major depression, and 80 percent for bipolar disorder. Comparatively, the success rate for heart disease is roughly 50 percent.

When they were discovered more than 40 years ago, conventional antipsychotic drugs were as revolutionary as insulin for diabetes or antibiotics for infectious disease. While these older drugs have had a profound impact on the treatment of serious brain disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, their neurological side effects are oftentimes debilitating and painful. More than half of the patients taking these older drugs experience a number of side effects ranging from uncontrollable muscle movements such as tremors and spasms to total rigidity and difficulty in swallowing.

[Continues .....]

The 5:30 Pill

For 6 years Zyprexa was my daughter's "5:30" pill. 15 mg at age 11 in 1999, along with Depakote and Zoloft and a wrong dx of pediatric bipolar disorder; and a 100lb weight gain by age 13.By age 18 doctors broke the news that it was Polycystic Ovary Syndrome caused by Depakote use as the reason for no menstruation, and now having increased risk for cervical cancer for life.

In 1999, Zyprexa was not approved for children and it still isn't!

Justice isn't sweet revenge, it doesn't do anything. Damage and deaths are permanent.

Now it's AstraZeneca and Seroquel's turn to step to the plate to meet cold hard reality, eat a huge slice of bitter humble pie, and get bitch slapped around to the sum of Billions!

Eli Lilly: Indy-based pharmaceutical company pleads guilty to promoting Zyprexa for unapproved uses; is slapped with $1.4 billion criminal fine, the largest ever placed on a U.S. company.

Zyprexa Claims being Stonewalled.
Where is the money going as many victim claimants haven't been paid yet?

Something fishy going on here?
Conflict of interest.
Eli Lilly promotes sales of their #1 drug (Zyprexa $4.8 billion year) that can *cause* diabetes and then turn around and make billions selling more drugs to treat the diabetes.

Eli Lilly's # 1 cash cow Zyprexa has been overprescribed and linked to a ten times greater risk of causing type #2 diabetes and increased risk of heart attacks.

Daniel Haszard Zyprexa patient who got the diabetes from it.

A "misdemeanor plea" !?! What a sick f*cking joke. They kill people and they have to pay 5% of what they made off these crimes and have to plead to a misdemeanor.

Oh yeah that is justice. Lets put away drug dealers who make less than $100,000 a year off their crimes for years but for companies who poes the same risk to people thru the same rout-providing a drug- let them plead to a misdemeanor.

The people who orcastrated this thing should be spending time in prison. What a hypocritical bullsh*t system we have.