Seroquel Lawsuits
A Seroquel lawsuit has been filed, seeking class action status for people who took the antipsychotic drug Seroquel and developed diabetes. The Seroquel lawyers allege that AstraZeneca, maker of Seroquel, knew patients might get diabetes but failed to warn them of the risks.
AstraZeneca carried on with aggressive marketing and concealed the dangers of Seroquel side effects. Seroquel lawyers in the class action lawsuit say that AstraZeneca also engaged in off-label marketing—that is, advertising the drug for the treatment of conditions not approved by the FDA.
Not until January 2004 did AstraZeneca change Seroquel’s labeling to reflect the serious risk of diabetes.
Evidence of the dangers of Seroquel came to light in August 2003. Soon after, the FDA ordered AstraZeneca to change Seroquel’s label to notify patients about the serious risk of diabetes, but the company failed to comply with this request.
Not until January 2004 did AstraZeneca change Seroquel’s labeling to reflect the serious increased risk of diabetes and other health complications.
In 2004, following the news about diabetes-related Seroquel side effects, a Seroquel class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of all people who had taken the drug. The lawsuit asked that a medical monitoring fund be established. It would provide Seroquel patients with free periodic testing for diabetes and related conditions. A multiplicity of other Seroquel lawsuits has been filed on behalf of people who have been injured or died as a result of Seroquel side effects.
In April 2007, more than 350 product liability cases were filed in Delaware state court against AstraZeneca. This tops the total number of cases filed there in the last two years.
The lawsuits arose from a label change the FDA ordered in September 2003. It indicated that Seroquel users were at an elevated risk of contracting diabetes. While no definitive link has been proven, plaintiffs who took the drug before that date have claimed injury and say they did not know of this risk.
