Seroquel Lawsuit Settled; Astra-Zeneca to Pay $520 Mil
April 27, 2010 06:16 PM EDT
views: 5922 | comments: 9 Pharmaceutical giant Astra-Zeneca, maker of Seroquel, has been ordered to pay $520 Million dollars to settle the Justice Department's lawsuit against them for improperly promoting it's anti psychotic medication Seroquel. The Justice Department claimed that A-Z marketed the drug as treatment for the treatment of aggression, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD).
Seroquel's intended use is for Bipolar Disorder as well as Schizophrenia. A-Z was also found guilty promoting and paying kickbacks to Doctors for prescribing the drug for unapproved uses. This, in turn, led to the charges of Medicaid and Medicare fraud, as Physicians prescribed the drug for afflictions other than those it was intended to treat.
While Physicians DO have the right to prescribe drugs for reasons other than those intended on the label, the Pharmaceutical Companies DO NOT have the right to promote their drugs for anything other than their intended use.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Astra-Zeneca is facing a multitude of product liability lawsuits from the general public. It seems that their Wonder Drug also causes Diabetes among other irreversible side effects.
Being a Geriatric Nurse, I have personally seen Seroquel prescribed for aggression associated with Alzheimer's Disease, Anxiety Disorders, and PTSD. . I have also seen some of those patients develop Diabetes. While Adult Onset Diabetes is fairly common in the elderly, especially those who are overweight and have underlying cholesterol issues. It is shocking to see Diabetes occur in the average to underweight patient, or the young Schizophrenic.
Frankly, I think the drug needs some retooling, if not removal from the market entirely. Think about it, the drug is meant to treat serious mental illness. Most of those who are prescribed the drug live in the community, not an Extended Care Facility.
Of those in the community who take the drug, they don't need another issue, like Diabetes to deal with. Mental Illness is quite enough for them to handle. I wouldn't want to be a Bipolar adult, struggling with day to day tribulations, and suddenly have to remember to check my blood sugar four times per day, and perhaps take insulin shots for the rest of my life.
It's a crying shame what Big Pharma gets by with these days.
By the way, if you think the $530 Million is going to hurt Astra Zeneca, think again. In 2009, they reported sales of Seroquel to be $4.9 Billion
http://health.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978201324
Seroquel's intended use is for Bipolar Disorder as well as Schizophrenia. A-Z was also found guilty promoting and paying kickbacks to Doctors for prescribing the drug for unapproved uses. This, in turn, led to the charges of Medicaid and Medicare fraud, as Physicians prescribed the drug for afflictions other than those it was intended to treat.
While Physicians DO have the right to prescribe drugs for reasons other than those intended on the label, the Pharmaceutical Companies DO NOT have the right to promote their drugs for anything other than their intended use.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Astra-Zeneca is facing a multitude of product liability lawsuits from the general public. It seems that their Wonder Drug also causes Diabetes among other irreversible side effects.
Being a Geriatric Nurse, I have personally seen Seroquel prescribed for aggression associated with Alzheimer's Disease, Anxiety Disorders, and PTSD. . I have also seen some of those patients develop Diabetes. While Adult Onset Diabetes is fairly common in the elderly, especially those who are overweight and have underlying cholesterol issues. It is shocking to see Diabetes occur in the average to underweight patient, or the young Schizophrenic.
Frankly, I think the drug needs some retooling, if not removal from the market entirely. Think about it, the drug is meant to treat serious mental illness. Most of those who are prescribed the drug live in the community, not an Extended Care Facility.
Of those in the community who take the drug, they don't need another issue, like Diabetes to deal with. Mental Illness is quite enough for them to handle. I wouldn't want to be a Bipolar adult, struggling with day to day tribulations, and suddenly have to remember to check my blood sugar four times per day, and perhaps take insulin shots for the rest of my life.
It's a crying shame what Big Pharma gets by with these days.
By the way, if you think the $530 Million is going to hurt Astra Zeneca, think again. In 2009, they reported sales of Seroquel to be $4.9 Billion
http://health.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978201324
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