Eli Lilly & Co. has already paid $3 billion to resolve thousands of Zyprexa lawsuits, but people continue to come forward to report severe side effects — including skin reactions, heart attack, and more.
Overview
Zyprexa (olanzapine) is an antipsychotic drug made by Eli Lilly & Co. It has been used by over 20 million people since it was approved by the FDA in 1996.
Zyprexa Lawsuits
Over 18,000 lawsuits have been filed by people who were injured by Zyprexa. They accused Eli Lilly of marketing it for unapproved uses and downplaying the risk of side effects.
In 2007, Eli Lilly agreed to pay $500 million to resolve the litigation. In total, the company paid $1.2 billion to 28,500 people who experienced severe side effects.
Two years later, the company paid $1.42 billion to settle civil and criminal investigations into illegal “off-label” marketing with the Justice Department and several states.
FDA Warnings for Zyprexa
The FDA has issued several warnings about side effects of Zyprexa. In May 2016, a Safety Communication was issued for a rare but severe, life-threatening skin reaction known as Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS). Click here to read more.
Zyprexa “Black Box” Warning
The Prescribing Information for Zyprexa has a “Black Box” warning that it increases the risk of death for patients with dementia-related psychosis.
In clinical trials involving 5,100 patients, Zyprexa was associated with a 60% increased risk of death compared to a placebo — 4.5% of patients on Zyprexa died vs. 2.6% on a placebo. Most of the deaths were caused by cardiovascular events (e.g., heart failure, heart attack, sudden death) or infections (e.g., pneumonia).
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