Settlement for Seroquel Lawsuits Reached in More Than 200 Cases: Report

Published: July 23rd, 2010

AstraZeneca has agreed to settle Seroquel lawsuits filed by about 200 people who claim that the drug maker failed to adequately warn about the risk of diabetes and other side effects of their antipsychotic drug. The Seroquel settlements are reportedly the first payments AstraZeneca has made out of an estimated 26,000 claims that have been presented against the company.

Bloomberg News reports that AstraZeneca has agreed to pay $2 million as a settlement for the Seroquel lawsuits, which comes out to an average of about $10,000 per claim. It is not clear what injuries were involved in these claims, or what the circumstances are for the cases. All of the settled lawsuits involved plaintiffs represented by one attorney, and Bloomberg News reports that the agreement came as a result of court-ordered mediation.

Although AstraZeneca has previously indicated that they would fight all Seroquel cases at trial, company officials now indicate that they will continue to negotiate with plaintiffs’ attorneys.

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 July 2006, all Seroquel lawsuits filed in federal courts throughout the United States were consolidated for pretrial litigation before U.S. District Judge Anne Conway in the Middle District of Florida as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL). In May of this year, Judge Conway determined that the majority of the work in the Seroquel litigation was complete, and began remanding cases back to the original jurisdiction where they were filed for trial.

AstraZeneca had opposed the remand of cases, arguing that the court should continue with mediation attempts that were ordered in November 2009. However, plaintiffs pushed for cases to be remanded now, indicating that AstraZeneca has spent over $1 billion in legal costs largely facilitating the defense strategy of delaying progress on the cases.

The prospect of thousands of lawsuits over Seroquel being scheduled for trial throughout the country has placed substantial pressure on AstraZeneca to discuss resolving claims.

There Are 18 Comments So Far • (Add Your Comments)

Comment by Joan on 24 July 2010:
I took Seoquel up until 2005.lllll I have suffrered with diabetes thyroid problems,heart attacks,,weightgain,,,,and other diseases too numerous to mention here,,,All of this happened because of Seroquel,,,I was never warned of the side effects,,I took my self od Seroquel and hired a lawyer ,,,,It has been about 5 years of waiting and i asm getting angry,,,I haven’t received a penny,,,and i am down to using food stamps and taking furniture that ppl throw away..One time I even had to get food from a dumpster,,,MY God,,,,,This is so disgussting what AstraZeneca did,,,,Where is my compensation?
Comment by Daniel on 27 July 2010:
Zyprexa legacy
The Lilly Zyprexa settlement saga is still ongoing and in default as some patient victim claimants like myself have not been payed.
I took Zyprexa for 4 years got diabetes classic case
Comment by Tim on 18 September 2010:
Well Joan, I initiated legal process against AZ in April of 2005. My case was handed off to differant Law Groups , because the smaller ones found it to large for there firms, so it’s been going through the mill for five and a half years. I developed Diabetes. and perepheral neuropathic disorders, not to mention other Diabetic caused problems in the Fall of 2000, after injesting Seroquel for a year. My Attorney has told me that mediation is in process, and that I’ll be receiving correspondance explaining what is going on, havn’t seen or heard anything yet. So goes the “Dog and Pony” show. It’s amazing the disparancy between what AZ has payed for their defense, coupled with what they were fined and payed to the FDA, and what WE may receive for being poisoned due to this toxic drug (Seroquel). I was able to stop taking this drug (Seroquel), on advice from my Attorney in May 2007. Withdrawing from it was terrible. But alas, I still and always will have physical problems due to it. All we can do is hope for the best, I don’t know how long I’ll be angry with the system, I can only pray for guidance, and some peace of mind. But as the saying goes “The Rich Get Richer, and the Poor Get Poorer”.
Comment by ronald on 5 October 2010:
i take seroquel and now i have alot of weight gain and diabeties i need a lawyer so i can get comp. for all my problems from taken seroquel
Comment by Angela on 3 November 2010:
I took this drug and atr first it seemed nice to sleep for days….untill i found out it was tripling my blood sugars my sugar already runs in the upper 200s and I believe it pout me into diabetic comas . I think it damaged my mind also because my memory is shot
Comment by joyce on 8 February 2011:
well i am thinking here astra zenca is drawing this out hoping most of us will die waiting or they claim they are broke cannot pay them go to some banruptcy situation hopefully they have ins back up wouldn;t they have to?
Comment by Darlene on 9 March 2011:
My husband took Seroquel for about 8 months. Less than 6 months after he started taking it, he had Diabetes and high Chlosterol. Now he will have to buy Diabetes medications, test strips, special foods, follow a special diet and maybe, someday be on Insulin. $11,000 for a settlement is a slap in his face. Who is going to pay for all of the things he now has to have for the rest of his life. $11,000 won’t pay for these things for 20+ years.
Comment by nicolle on 10 March 2011:
i was perscribed seroquel about 5 to 6 years ago for insomnia, i gained weight from sleep eating, i was never warned about this i got off this drug and got a new pychiatrist after not being able to convence the first…….. i would cook sometimes and that is just plain dangerous!!!!
Comment by julie on 15 March 2011:
I just faxed a letter to the President of where seroquel is made. My 5 teeth on top are brittle and following apart. My front left tooth fell out. My side tooth is wobbly and ready to fall out. My long hair is brittle. My nails are brittle. My Dr. Emslie in Regina, Sk Canada finally took me off it. I gained 40 pounds in the last 4 years. I am almost 62. Seroquel is not approved by the FDA in the U.S. I am looking for an out of court settlement. Is anyone out there in a class action lawsuit? I can’t afford a lawyer.
Comment by curtis on 18 March 2011:
i take soraquil and dont want too i was not told at the time about diabites and its like a baby herion as well never knew that one ither lost my family lost my firends lost my life all mosted died as well cause i did not know what the docotors were giveing me how can i get a hold of a good lawer..hade some crazy side effes like noise bleeds and pass out spells and more i am done with this crap in my bodie and need some help with it.
Comment by curtis on 18 March 2011:
i also have teeth problems like $6000 dollar problem as well that i fell mighted be related as well too.why would they give out such a drug to people that make’s them more worse then better as well i keep woundering.and take this drug is like take herion people r injection it on the street as well who in there right mind approuved this..who can i send a letter too i want some action done one this one my life is too fucked not sure if i got diabeties might going to get checked now and i know my mind is all fucked up too cant rember thing some times can sleep and sometimes cant my leags fell itchy alot off the time i can comperheand when people r talking to me and more i am snappy depperessed and way more probley too much to put in this box..soo if any one can help set me in the right path that would be much appereacheated we need to take controle off are own lifes back.and it starts now.
Comment by curtis on 18 March 2011:
if u can afford a lawer try to ask a lawer to set up fee being payed when the case if over i guess.have u asked around julie..i am going to make calls tomorrow or the next day if i find one that will help i will posted his name up here as well if any one else finds one do the same if we work togher we can beat this lil life problem..but we got to all be a team on it.
curtis stroud
Comment by David on 2 April 2011:
4 years ago my 6 year old son was perscribed this drug (seroquel) against my wishes by a pedatrician recieving information from his drug addict mother. She used this drug to knock him and out and make him sleep, even going to her own doctor and getting the same perscribed for herself so she could double his dosage without running out.
He gained 20 pounds in a very short time, and started showing other symptoms, for which other meds were perscribed. Worried, I took my son to the emergency room, and asked that the seroquel and other levels of drugs in his body be checked and measured to make sure they are what the doctor had perscribed. They refused, and said they could not check the levels. I have the doctors names, and also had the presence of mind to record the entire visit on 4-27-08.
Why did the doctor perscribe this drug to my 6 year old when he knew it was not to be used on children younger than ten?
Too often, i have seen when these drugs are credited for positive accomplishments, but when they go wrong, the patient is blamed! It makes me SICK!
Comment by luis on 7 April 2011:
i was waiting for some help about the serocuel and now im using insulin,my case its getting worse and i need all the help of the world.
Comment by Roberta on 21 June 2011:
I think all people that have seroquel settlements coming,should find a legal person to get after these attorneys that have thier case,and make these attorneys do things in an orderly time span, instead of lying to thier clients about when the settlement money will be paid to them, and the attorneys should be watched legally, that a fair amount of the seroquel settlement money will be paid to all the victims of seroquel,
Comment by Maureen on 27 September 2011:
I have been taking seroquel since 2004 and now I suffer with diabetes, has become insulin dependant, gained quite a bit of weight. While taking Seroquel I have a hard time copeing with daily tasks, my children say that I am short tempered and disorganized.
On Sept 26 2011 I recieved a letter from my lawyer to let me know that settlement papers are on the way ! WILL KEEP YOU POSTED.
Comment by Terri on 22 October 2011:
I have taken Seroquel for years an have Diabetes and Tardive Dyskinesia as a result of taking the medication an I have been contacted by mail an phone about receiving my settlement for this for 3 years now an I still have not received anything. I would like to know when and how I can receive my settlement for this since I have been laid off of work as a result of this an can no longer work or do anything as I used to. Please let me know some thing soon.
Comment by Sharon on 5 January 2012:
Its been mounths since I received the letter that a check was comming soon. What gives?
Let us know whats going on!!!!