Forest Laboratories Inc. Accused of Illegal Marketing of Antidepressants
As the Justice Department charged Forest Laboratories Inc. in February with illegal marketing of its antidepressants Celexa and Lexapro, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Lexapro for use in children.
Forest Laboratories Inc. marketed the drugs for use in children and adolescents even though it had no FDA approval for such use. The civil complaint filed against the company alleges that:
- Executives at Forest promoted favorable results from one clinical trial to purport that the drugs were effective in children. The trial, conveniently enough, was financed by the company. Another study, that did not result in such favorable findings, was concealed and the company failed to share the results of that study.
- The company awarded pediatricians who prescribed the drugs. There were ski vacations, gift certificates, fishing trips, and spa visits dangled before doctors to coax them into prescribing Celexa and Lexapro.
- Forest conducted trials that were simply marketing campaigns in the guise of studies. Doctors are not prohibited from prescribing drugs for unapproved uses; drug makers, however, are not allowed to promote off label or unapproved uses of drugs. In recent weeks, Eli Lilly settled an off label use promotion suit and Medtronic had a medical injury lawsuit filed against them for off label promotion of its Infuse bone growth product.
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The allegations that Forest Laboratories Inc. concealed studies showing unfavorable results for Lexapro and Celexa seem to have received no attention by the FDA. On March 20th, the agency approved the use of Lexapro for use in adolescents. Lexapro is only the second antidepressant approved for use in younger patients.
Medical Injury Attorneys
Often, pharmaceutical companies indulge in unethical and illegal marketing of products that have not been approved for certain uses. Forest Laboratories' illegal marketing of Lexapro and Celexa for use in younger patients even before they were approved for such use, could have placed children and adolescents at risk of antidepressant abuse. Antidepressant medications, when not used as they are prescribed, can cause suicidal fantasies or worsen symptoms of depression. Unfortunately, we often see pharmaceutical companies ignoring health risks posed by unapproved uses of drugs to increase profits without thought of the risks of medical injuries.
Patients injured by unapproved use of a drug can consult a medical injury lawyer to file a lawsuit against the company, if it was engaged in promoting such off label use.
If you or a loved one has been injured by the use of Celexa or Lexapro, contact a medical injury lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP to learn about your options for compensation.
