This is Michael Brady Lynch, lead trial attorney for the Michael Brady Lynch Firm.
The FDA just issued another warning for a drug that has a history of dangerous side effects. The antipsychotic drug, olanzapine, which is also known by brand name Zyprexa can lead to a deadly skin condition called Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS). This condition is so serious that it can progress rapidly. DRESS can trigger internal organ injury, and those afflicted can die. There is NO treatment for DRESS.

First approved in 1996, manufacturer Eli Lilly’s Zyprexa is used as an antipsychotic medicine to treat mental health disorders schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It can decrease hallucinations along with other psychotic symptoms such as disorganized thinking.

Right now, users have reported 23 cases of DRESS to the FDA, however, since these reports are submitted voluntarily to the FDA there is most likely to be more. DRESS starts as a rash that spreads and includes symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a swollen face. This leads to organ injury and death. The FDA said the mortality rate for DRESS is 10%.

What is most disconcerting is that this isn’t the first time Eli Lilly has come under fire for its Zyprexa line of medications. Over the last three years, controlled studies have been showing that the drug not only causes DRESS, but also atypical weight gain, diabetes and even high cholesterol.  Weight gain is an average of two pounds a week and can exceed 30 lbs. in the first year. Zyprexa and eight other medications in the drug product line bring a 4.2-increased risk of the user developing diabetes. The other competitor on the market only carries a 1.6-increased risk. Researchers at Oregon State Hospital discovered that users experienced a cholesterol point increase of 31.

Eli Lilly and Zyprexa are bad news. The FDA should do more than give a warning. They should consider taking it off the market.

If you or a love one suffered from DRESS after taking Zyprexa, contact the dedicated attorneys at The Michael Brady Lynch Firm today at 877-513-9517.