The Department of Justice over AstraZeneca Seroquel investigation and the British pharmaceutical business have come to a settlement. Seroquel, an anti psychotic medication, has been under fire for being marketed for unapproved purposes. $ 520 million in restitution is what the drug maker is willing to pay the Department of Justice. It will hardly make them think about guaranteed loans to cover for the expense, as the drug itself sold about $ 4.9 billion worth last year.
AstraZeneca Seroquel marketed for wrong purposes
The drug being marketed for purposes other than those it is approved for is what the qualm over AstraZeneca Seroquel is situated on. The DOJ says that there were physician kickbacks of payday money for those that prescribed the drug for off label purposes. The drug Seroquel is quetiapine, which is used to treat schizophrenia and certain bi-polar disorders. Physicians might prescribe a medication for an off-label use if they deem it appropriate. Pharmaceutical drugs are not to be marketed for any off label uses; the FDA says no to that.
Off label uses of Seroquel
Part of this investigation is whether AstraZeneca Seroquel was marketed for uses that aren’t approved for it yet. According to the Wall Street Journal , AstraZeneca marketed the drug for off label uses, such as to treat post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, Alzheimer’s Disease, aggression, and depression. The Justice Departments seems to think that pharmaceutical giant gave kickbacks to physicians for prescribing it for those purposes. AstraZeneca denies the allegations despite the fact that they set aside $ 520 million in October for a settlement.
Lawsuits pending
You will find a few lawsuits against AstraZeneca concerning the side effects of off label use of the drug, Seroquel. Seroquel isn’t the first drug to try off label purposes; off label medication is really wide spread because every drug has alternate uses. For instance, aspirin works as a blood thinner and typically is used as a pain reliever, but it also is used for treating heart disease. Physicians often prescribe drugs for off label uses which is fine. Nevertheless, the idea that a physician would prescribe drug for their own money purposes when something else is accessible, is really troubling.
What is the impact?
Not much will probably come of it since AstraZeneca Seroquel set aside cash for a settlement months ago. The company will probably disclose payments to physicians and will comply with federal instructions.
Resources
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100427-717519.html?mod=WSJ_World_MIDDLEHeadlinesEurope
