Remand of Seroquel Lawsuits For Trial Vacated To Continue Settlement Talks
A panel of judges has decided to give AstraZeneca Plc. more time to settle as many Seroquel lawsuits as possible, vacating a prior order that would have sent thousands of cases back to the federal district court where they were originally filed for trial.
In an order issued Tuesday by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict litigation, it was decided that all lawsuits over Seroquel would remain centralized as part of an MDL (multidistrict litigation) in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida for continued pretrial settlement negotiations.
U.S. District Judge Anne Conway, who has presided over the MDL since it was established in July 2006, asked the Panel to vacate her prior order to remand the cases for individual Seroquel trials. Judge Conway indicated that remanding the cases at this time would likely disrupt the settlement dialop and could “stall negotiations altogether.”
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Learn MoreAstraZeneca has already agreed to pay almost $200 million to settle about 17,500 personal injury lawsuits in which plaintiffs claim that the company failed to warn that the side effects of Seroquel could cause substantial weight gain and significantly increased the risk of contracting diabetes. The company had faced a total of about 22,500 Seroquel lawsuits. Most of the remaining cases that have not yet been settled are part of the MDL.
Seroquel (quetiapine fumarate) is an atypical-antipsychotic that is a top selling drug for AstraZeneca, generating nearly $5 billion a year in sales. Originally approved by the FDA in 1997 for the treatment of schizophrenia, it has been frequently prescribed off-label for uses that were not approved as safe and effective at the time, such as anxiety, obsessive dementia, compulsive disorders and autism.
In May, Judge Conway determined that the pretrial work in the MDL was complete, and issued a Final Pretrial Order and Suggestion of Remand. At that time, no Seroquel settlements had been reached in any of the cases. Plaintiffs pushed for the Seroquel lawsuits to be remanded, arguing that AstraZeneca was maintaining that they would not settle the cases and was engaging in a legal defense strategy of delaying the cases.
Faced with the prospect of defending thousands of individual trials in courts throughout the United States, settlement negotiations picked up this summer. In July it was reported that AstraZeneca agreed to settle Seroquel lawsuits filed by about 200 people. Within two weeks, the number of reported settlements reached 17,500 cases, concluding the lion’s share of the lawsuits that were pending. The average Seroquel settlement has been about $11,000 per claim.
This week’s ruling allows the possibility that AstraZeneca to continue discussions in the remaining cases, while they remain part of a coordinated action subject to continuing court-ordered mediation.
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6 Comments
aimeOctober 26, 2014 at 11:56 pm
Im on seroquel andi get tired when i first wake up in the morning my legs hurt and im alwsys in pain also im a type 2ddiabities. Should i stop i dont know what tk do
AngelaOctober 24, 2010 at 4:42 am
I take seroquel right now for bipolar disorder i always have tinglingin my left hand arms and fingers sometimes i can't feel my left side if this is what seroquel and other medications for bipolar does to people then why are they prescribing us this we want better health not worst health. whats sad about finding out about what these meds do especially that my 15 year old son was prescribed with se[Show More]I take seroquel right now for bipolar disorder i always have tinglingin my left hand arms and fingers sometimes i can't feel my left side if this is what seroquel and other medications for bipolar does to people then why are they prescribing us this we want better health not worst health. whats sad about finding out about what these meds do especially that my 15 year old son was prescribed with seroquel but it just made him feel sicker so thy stopped him immediatly now i got to hope nothing happens bad with him.
glendaOctober 22, 2010 at 3:17 pm
I starting taking seroquel around last of sept 2010, the doctor gave me sample of 50 mg. It didnt help at all. on 10-05-10 he prescribe 150mg to take. On 10-02-01 i had tingling and loss of feeling in my left hand. II told the doctor about this he say that wasnt nothing just side effect of seroquel. On Oct 19 he change my medicine. I know longer take seroquel but I still have no feelling in my [Show More]I starting taking seroquel around last of sept 2010, the doctor gave me sample of 50 mg. It didnt help at all. on 10-05-10 he prescribe 150mg to take. On 10-02-01 i had tingling and loss of feeling in my left hand. II told the doctor about this he say that wasnt nothing just side effect of seroquel. On Oct 19 he change my medicine. I know longer take seroquel but I still have no feelling in my left two finger.
JERRYSeptember 29, 2010 at 6:04 pm
I SPENT A WEEK IN THE HOSPITAL WITH PANCRETTIS WHAT A SHAME THAY ARE TRYING TO SETTLE FOR ONLY 11,000.BUY THE TIME THE LAWYER GET THERE SHARE WE WON'T HAVE ENOUGH LEFT TO BURY US WITH.
ElaineSeptember 19, 2010 at 6:45 pm
I took seroquel and almost died from pancretitis. No medical history to support such an acute disease. AZ should pay through the nose, but they won't. Thank God I recovered and went off all my meds cold turkey before I even realized that seroquel was to blame. Never again. Since then I have lost 44 pounds.
JohnSeptember 13, 2010 at 12:44 pm
I was taking Seroquel and got Diabietie's real bad. Ended up in the Hospital for Thirty Day's over it. I had wieght gain. My Diabieties is out of Control. They all told me keep taking it if it was perscribed to you. I did for awhile and I got worst. Alot of Hospital Visits. I have to take Two shots a day of two differant kinds of insulin Novelin N-R. My Sight is Bad and Pain and the Cramps are so [Show More]I was taking Seroquel and got Diabietie's real bad. Ended up in the Hospital for Thirty Day's over it. I had wieght gain. My Diabieties is out of Control. They all told me keep taking it if it was perscribed to you. I did for awhile and I got worst. Alot of Hospital Visits. I have to take Two shots a day of two differant kinds of insulin Novelin N-R. My Sight is Bad and Pain and the Cramps are so Bad. I cant work,sleep,or eat do to the the Symptons. Seroquel I Blame for this. It really has messed me up.