Defecetive Drugs: adrugrecall.com
NEWSLETTER
Sign up for our newsletter
to receive breaking news about drugs to watch
Contact A Lawyer
Near You
Contact us today for a complimentary consultation with a qualified attorney near you.
Seroquel For Low Doses May Be Exposing Itself To Legal Problems
–September 8, 2004
Seroquel schizophrenia drug was introduced in 1997 and was unable to compete with the large drug companies that had already made their impact on the antipsychotic field. Though most unsuccessful drugs usually are not able to make a comeback, Seroquel did. Now almost 25 percent of new antipsychotic prescriptions in the U.S. are for Seroquel, surpassing all of its competitors. Twelve billion dollars in global annual sales for drugmakers are because of antipsychotic medicines, which are being used more and more for a variety of conditions besides schizophrenia.
Seroquel is not being prescribed for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, its intended use, but for conditions it was never FDA approved to treat, such as depression, anxiety and most commonly, as a sleep aid. Seroquel is commonly being dispensed in low doses , accounting for half of Seroquel's market share. The majority of low dose Seroquel prescriptions are for sleep or calming, noticeable by the fact that Seroquel is often given in combination with other antipsychotics.
When compared to other antipsychotics, Seroquel at its lowest doses does not have some of the adverse side effects like weight gain or the addictive natures like other sleep medicines. While this a selling point for Seroquel, some experts believe the sedative effects are comparable to medicines - like antihistamines with more outrageous prices. Other experts argue Seroquel has been shown in recent trials to help patients with bipolar depression when given alone, unlike other antipsychotic drugs that need to be combined with other medicines.
As seen in Pfizer's $430 million settlement for marketing its epilepsy drug Neurontin for unapproved uses, AstraZeneca could be in trouble if found marketing Seroquel as a sleep aid. There is no evidence of AstraZeneca's hand in Seroquel's off label popularity. T he widespread use of the drug as a sleep aid may be the result of word of mouth. Just like any medication, it is important for patients to notify their healthcare professional of any and all medications and medical history before deciding if Seroquel will be beneficial.
For more information on seroquel, please contact us.
