Monday, December 8, 2008

AstraZeneca Was Aware of Seroquel Risks in 2000, Records Show

AstraZeneca Plc., facing more than 15,000 consumer claims alleging the antipsychotic drug Seroquel causes diabetes, knew about the risk as far back as 2000, according to company documents shown in federal court.

AstraZeneca Global Safety Officer Wayne Geller concluded there was “reasonable evidence to suggest Seroquel therapy can cause” diabetes and related conditions, according to documents presented yesterday in federal court in Tampa, Florida. Geller drew his conclusions following a review of available studies and internal trials, according to the documents.

The internal documents were shown publicly for the first time during a hearing over the qualifications of expert witnesses the plaintiffs plan to use at trial. They are to testify in a lawsuit over the drug’s effects when the proceeding begins in February. While portions of the documents were shown in court, the filings remain sealed at the request of the London-based pharmaceutical company.

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