Eli Lilly settles further Zyprexa law suits

US pharmaceutical major Eli Lilly has entered into settlement agreements with 14 plaintiffs' firms (or groups of plaintiffs' firms) involved in product liability litigation relating to its atypical antipsychotic drug Zyprexa (olanzapine) to resolve the vast majority of remaining claims against the company. These deals follow a master settlement Lilly entered into in 2005 (Marketletter June 20, 2005) that covered around 8,000 claimants in the USA, as well as about 2,500 additional claims.

"While we remain confident that these claims are without merit, we took this difficult step because we believe it is in the best interest of the company, the patients who depend on this medication, and their physicians," said Lilly's chief executive, Sidney Taurel.

"We wanted to reduce significant uncertainties involved in litigating such complex cases. Our decision to resolve the claims does not change the fact that Zyprexa has and will continue to improve the lives of millions of patients around the world who are suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder," Mr Taurel added.