“through a complex series of illegal rackets and lies, Eli Lilly built a multi-billion dollar drug enterprise at the expense of taxpayers

Lilly accused of "sick marketing mindset" in new Zyprexa lawsuit | 12 March 2008

Connecticut has become the latest US state to sue Eli Lilly after claiming that the firm marketed the antipsychotic Zyprexa for unapproved off-label uses,and hid side effects such as weight gain and diabetes.

nnouncing the lawsuit, the state’s Attorney General Richard Blumenthal issued a scathing statement saying that Lilly “allegedly corrupted physicians, pharmacies and administrators at nursing homes and youth detention centres as part of a massive illegal marketing campaign” to promote Zyprexa (olanzapine), notably among children, for anxiety, depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. He adds that the firm also “dangerously concealed risks associated with Zyprexa”, which was only approved for schizophrenia, including diabetes, cardiovascular problems and significant weight gain.

Mr Blumenthal goes on to claim that “through a complex series of illegal rackets and lies, Eli Lilly built a multi-billion dollar drug enterprise at the expense of taxpayers, consumers and patient lives”. He then says that he is seeking to “recover millions of taxpayer and consumer dollars”, around $190 million, that was “improperly spent” on Zyprexa. ...