Transcript of hearing–Judge Jack B. Weinstein. January 17, 2007, at:
http://ahrp.blogspot.com/2007/01/zyprexa-litigation-hearing-judge-jack.html
The saga of the Eli Lilly-Zyprexa documents illustrates how badly the public
interest is served when lawyers representing plaintiffs and lawyers
representing a pharmaceutical company, essentially collude to keep
incriminating documents concealed from prescribing physicians and the
public.
Sealed settlements in product litigation involving life-threatening risks of
harm–such as the harms posed by Zyprexa–pose a public health hazard.
We believe, in such cases sealed settlements should be outlawed.
The decision to seal pharmaceutical company documents should not be left to
lawyers who negotiate merely for the $ amount of the settlement.
The magnitude of harm linked to Zyprexa–as recorded in Lilly's own
documents–must not remain under seal because the concealment of those risks
poses a grave and present danger to the lives of millions of consumers who
may exposed to the drug and suffer irreversible harm.
Not only have thousands of consumers already been harmed–as documented in
Lilly's billion dollar + settlements–but thousands more will be harmed
because physicians don't know the full scope and magnitude of the risks
disclosed in the sealed documents.
See also; Eli Lilly The Habitual Offender by Evelyn Pringle on OpEd
News.com, January 25, 2007 at:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_evelyn_p_070125_eli_lilly_the_habitu
.htm
Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav
212-595-8974
veracare@ahrp.org