A British Columbia man last week filed a class action lawsuit against drug maker Eli Lilly, alleging the company “purposefully minimized and understated health hazards and risks associated with Zyprexa.”
The Plaintiff alleges that his use of Zyprexa resulted in diabetes.
“Eli Lilly, through literature and oral statements, deceived potential users of Zyprexa and their physicians by relaying positive information, including testimonials from satisfied users and by manipulating statistics to suggest widespread acceptability, while downplaying the known adverse and serious health effects of the drug,” Plaintiff’s attorney Jim Poyner said. “Eli Lilly falsely and fraudulently withheld relevant information from potential users of Zyprexa.”
Total sales in Canada were valued at $223 million in 2002 and over $4 billion worldwide in 2003.
In an October 16, 2003 press release, Eli Lilly disclosed a Health Canada order directing it to include updated information on hyperglycemia and diabetes on the labels of their antipsychotics.
Under B.C.’s “Class Proceedings Act,” a suit is brought in the name of one individual as “representative of a class.” Each of these actions cites the case of one person, but if certified by the Supreme Court, they will represent and potentially benefit everyone in the province who has suffered the negative consequences of using either Celebrex or Zyprexa.
(via Canada NewsWire Group)
6 responses so far ↓
alex // Apr 20, 2005 at 10:49 am
very interesting, i look at this discussion from a reality so diferent from the american peaple, but i think that the wellness in this global world have no borders
Please give me the chance of keeping myself upgrade on this matter
My Kyndest regards
dan // Jun 16, 2005 at 2:01 pm
For all those concerned about the effects of Zyprexa you should know that their is another argument to this. The argument is that Zyprexa does not cause diabetes, but instead acts on enzymes in the brain that tell the body it is hungry. As a result patients that are taking Zyprexa gain enormous appetites. As a result people gain a significant amount of weight if not put on a dietary plan by their doctors (of which Eli Lilly can not influence, only educate in their decisions w/ their patients). It is the obesity that is argued to cause the diabetes. So, the moral of the story is…Zyprexa is a VERY good drug, it is the market leader for what it does, this is not questioned. The side effects of weight gain are bad, but NOT unbeatable with exercise and a good diet. So in my eyes, Zyprexa does what it says it will do and it is the responsibility of those that are care takers and perscribers to decide if the their patients should be on the drug based on their willingness to follow the health recommendations…Leave Eli Lilly alone.
Dave // Jun 22, 2005 at 7:55 pm
In response to Dan…
You are a moron. I was diagnosed with diabetes after 6 months of taking zyprexa. I have no family history of diabetes, I am not overweight, and I developed diabetes “overnight” thanks to your “VERY good drug”. A “VERY good drug” does not help you cope with one problem by giving you a potentially deadly disease. The lawsuit is about Lilly not informing its patients of the possible side effects, namely diabetes. The adverse side effects have nothing to do with how the patient eats or exercises, it has to do with the poison that Lilly manufactures.
Kimberly // Jun 26, 2005 at 6:23 pm
I believe that zyprexa is a great mood stabalizer. I have been on & off of it since it first came available. My only reason for going off of it is because of the weight gain. I don’t exercize & don’t eat correctly. I believe that this is a problem with those of us who live with mental illness. Maybe zyprexa does lead to diabetes, but i believe that if you keep control over your diet, this can be kept under control.
Ellen Liversidge // Sep 15, 2005 at 9:49 am
My son was killed by Zyprexa in October, 2002. He had never been heavy before but gained 100 pounds on this lethal drug. One day he felt terrible, “funny”, and within two days slipped into a coma from which he never came out. This drug is poison; the most dangerous of the atypical antipsychotics. It was marketed as “safe, “safe”, “safe”, and there was no warning on the label, so we did not worry. Now I get to be a shattered person for the rest of my life, while the Lilly executives take all their millions to the bank.
Valerie // Oct 7, 2005 at 6:49 pm
Dan, I don’t know how you got so brainwashed but you are. Thousands of people have become diabetic after taking Zyprexa including myself. Yes it causes weight gain but a person should be warned that it has the potential to cause diabetes. The drug manufacturers knew this from their trials and falsified the information that they gave to the patients and doctors. If you believe in Zyprexa you are a misguided fool. I wish I had never been referred to the doctor who put me on Zyprexa as I have no doubt that I would not be diabetic now. I am so very bitter and my bitterness is against the drug company who manufactures Zyprexa. They are on the same scale as tobacco producers. They don’t care about anything but the almighty dollar. This is my opinion.
Valerie
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