Connecticut is joining the queue of states suing Eli Lilly over Zyprexa marketing. The state says it spent more than $190 million on Zyprexa, plus millions more on injuries caused by the med. And its allegations are issued in some pretty incendiary language that tars physicians, pharmacists, and public servants with the same brush applied to the drug maker.
"Through a complex series of illegal rackets and lies, Eli Lilly built a multibillion-dollar drug enterprise," Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said in a statement. "Eli Lilly adopted a sick marketing mindset: profits over patients, sales over safety. Driven by fierce greed, Eli Lilly corrupted doctors, pharmacies, and public officials nationwide who easily abandoned integrity and decency for self-enrichment."
Whoa, boy. Lilly denied the accusations, saying it's committed to the "highest ethical standards and to promoting our medications only for approved uses."
Lilly, remember, is facing similar allegations in a growing number of states, and it's in the midst of settlement talks with the feds, too. This week, the company is fighting a similar suit in Alaska; all eyes are on that courtroom because the outcome there is expected to help shape other cases.
- see the item at Pharmalot
- check out the coverage at the Wall Street Journal Health Blog
- read the Associated Press article