Lilly takes on BMJ over Prozac claims
pharmafile | January 20, 2005 | News story | Sales and Marketing |Â Â Â
Eli Lilly has gone on the offensive over allegations that it concealed important safety information on its antidepressant drug Prozac.
In December the BMJ published documents, sent anonymously to its offices, which seemed to show Lilly had suppressed evidence that the drug could cause behavioural disturbances.
The pharma company has responded by taking out adverts in major US newspapers to counter claims about the alleged evidence, which has a strong bearing on litigation brought against Lilly in the1990s.
The BMJ said the reviews and memos "indicate that Lilly officials were aware in the1980s that Prozac had troubling side-effects, and sought to minimise their likely negative effect on prescribing", something the company has denied.
In a further move to clear its name Lilly has made submissions regarding Prozac to regulators. The drug (also known as fluoxetine) was the first in the SSRI class of drugs to reach the market in 1988, and is now off-patent but is still prescribed generically to millions of patients around the world.
In Lilly's open letter chief executive Sidney Laurel said the BMJ had "needlessly spread fear among patients who take Prozac" and said the allegations were "simply wrong".
Lilly vice president and chief medical officer Alan Brier also highlighted the company's decision to make the results of clinical trials available on the internet and said he was confident "that there is more known about Prozac after two decades of rigorous study than any other comparable medication".
BMJ acting editor Karman Abbasi has hit back by claiming Lilly was being "disingenuous" for suggesting the BMJ actions may be detrimental to patients and doctors, saying the impact of not making the public aware of potentially harmful effects would be much worse.
