Montana to Eli Lilly: You Owe Us

Eli Lilly is in ever-deepening trouble for illegal off-label marketing of Zyprexa, a schizophrenia and bipolar disorder drug, and for trying to downplay Zyprexa’s side effects, which include obesity and diabetes. The company has already paid $1.2 billion to settle lawsuits from over 28,500 people who claimed to be harmed by the drug — and […]

Zyprexa_2Eli Lilly is in ever-deepening trouble for illegal off-label marketing of Zyprexa, a schizophrenia and
bipolar disorder drug, and for trying to downplay Zyprexa's side effects, which include obesity and diabetes.

The company has already paid $1.2 billion to settle lawsuits from over 28,500 people who claimed to be harmed by the drug -- and the legal battles are only beginning. Louisiana, West Virginia, Alaska, New Mexico and Mississippi have already sued Eli Lilly for Zyprexa-related healthcare costs, and Montana just threw its lawyers' hats into the ring:

Eli Lilly & Co. was sued by the state of Montana over claims the company fraudulently marketed its antipsychotic drug Zyprexa for unapproved uses and owes the state for prescription costs and harm to patients.

Lilly allegedly gave kickbacks to doctors and improperly promoted the drug to nursing homes as a sedative, Montana Attorney General Mike McGrath said in a complaint filed March 7 in state court in Helena. He claimed Lilly, the world's biggest maker of psychiatric drugs, bought off a ``disgruntled'' sales director to keep him from disclosing its marketing practices.

The drugmaker instructed its representatives to minimize and misrepresent the dangers of Zyprexa, affirmatively and consciously placing company profits above the public safety,'' according to the complaint. This failure to warn was designed and intended to maximize company profits.''

Lilly Fraudulently Marketed Zyprexa, Montana Claims [Bloomberg News]