Eli Lilly announced Tuesday that the company agreed to pay $62 million to resolve investigations in 32 US states and the District of Columbia related to the sales, marketing and promotion of Zyprexa (olanzapine). According to lawyers for the states, it is the largest settlement paid to date by a pharmaceutical company in a state consumer protection case.

Eli Lilly, which did not admit fault as part of the settlement, said it would undertake “certain commitments” regarding Zyprexa for a period of six years relating to the company’s promotional practices, dissemination of medical information, and funding of continuing medical education and grants related to the drug, as well as continued disclosure of Zyprexa trials and their results.

The company also agreed to provide the states’ attorneys general with information related to compensation made to healthcare professionals who have received more than $100 annually from the company for promotional speaking and consulting regarding Zyprexa in the US. The antipsychotic will continue to be made available through Medicaid programmes in all states, Eli Lilly added.

Zyprexa garnered $4.8 billion in sales in 2007.

Source: FirstWord

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