Eli Lilly and federal authorities say the pharmaceutical company will pay $1.4 billion for promoting Zyprexa, an antipsychotic drug, for unapproved or "off-label" uses. The amount includes a fine of
$515 million -- the most ever in health care and the largest criminal fine for an individual corporation, John Russell reports. Under the settlement, no individual at Lilly will be charged with a
criminal offense.
Prosecutors said Lilly unlawfully promoted Zyprexa for agitation, aggression, hostility, dementia, depression and generalized sleep disorder, although the drug is
approved only for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Prosecutors also said Lilly marketed Zyprexa to primary-care physicians, "even though the company knew there was virtually no approved use for
Zyprexa in the primary-care market."
"We deeply regret the past actions covered by the misdemeanor plea," said John C. Lechleiter, Lilly's chairman, president and CEO. In the first three
quarters of 2008, the drug rang up $3.5 billion in sales. In 2007, Zyprexa brought in more than $4.7 billion.
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