Why so many lawsuits if their magic pills are so good for you?
AstraZeneca Settles Most Seroquel Suits
And why so little Media coverage? Oh, yeah, the Drug Co. commercials keep lots of the media afloat.
Gosh their E-MAILS sound like Murdoch E-Mails.
Legal discovery in the Seroquel cases has provided some of the most embarrassing or damaging disclosures over AstraZeneca’s past research and marketing practices, including a 1997 memo praising the company’s work to put a “positive spin” on a “cursed study” and highlighting one official who “has done a great ‘smoke-and-mirrors’ job!”
Another internal e-mail unsealed in court said AstraZeneca had “buried” unfavorable studies. A publications manager for the company wrote, “the larger issue is how we face the outside world when they begin to criticize us for suppressing data.”
Drug makers have become the biggest targets of government antifraud investigations.
The set-aside includes the $68.5 million that the drug maker agreed to pay in March to 37 states, settling charges that it had illegally marketed Seroquel.
AstraZeneca also had to pay $520 million last year to settle federal investigations into its marketing of Seroquel.
At that time, Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, had accused the company of paying kickbacks to doctors while promoting the drug for unapproved uses by children, the elderly, veterans and prisoners.
AstraZeneca did not admit to any misconduct, while settling the federal case and signing a corporate integrity agreement, essentially putting it on probation with the government.
The company also said in the filing that its legal fees in Seroquel cases amounted to $743 million, partly covered by insurance. That figure has risen from $688 million estimated a year ago.
If the estimates hold, AstraZeneca will have paid a total of about $1.9 billion to defend and settle the personal injury cases and government investigations.
Please research your medications for personal safety reasons.