Zyprexa Lawsuit News

Zyprexa lawsuits result from off-label use

-April 12, 2005

When Zyprexa was first FDA approved in 1996, the new atypical antipsychotic drug experienced immediate financial success. Until Zyprexa's entrance to the U.S. market, Clozaril was the breakthrough in the medical community. When Clozaril was approved in 1989, the drug was associated with reduced side effects, but the drug also caused an elevated white blood cell count.

Zyprexa was proven to have the same reduced side effects as Clozaril, but unlike the older drug, Zyprexa did not affect white blood cell count. Without the adverse white blood cell side effects as Clozaril, Zyprexa's sales soon reached $8 billion by the early 2000s, though the drug did show an unexpected increase in diabetes mellitus type II.

Drugs are commonly prescribed "off-label," or for indications it was not FDA approved to treat. Off-label prescriptions allow patients to benefit from drugs that have shown unexpected relief for other symptoms than intended since it can be years before actual approval for those indications are extended.

Currently, Zyprexa has been the subject of lawsuits because of side effects resulting from off-label uses. In addition to diabetes, Zyprexa side effects also include hyperglycemia and pancreatitis.

Yesterday, the FDA warned elderly patients with dementia were significantly more likely to die prematurely if taking certain anti-psychotics, including Zyprexa. Approved for treating schizophrenia and mania, the FDA concluded after an analysis of 17 studies covering four drugs that anti-psychotics showed the death rate for elderly patients taking them was about 1.6 to 1.7 times the death rate for patients taking a placebo.

For more information on Zyprexa lawsuits, please contact us to confer with a Zyprexa attorney.

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If you have suffered serious Zyprexa side effects and would like more information contact us to confer with a Zyprexa lawyer.