Making Lemonade

By Peter D. Kramer on July 21, 2008 in In Practice Zyprexa, Eli Lilly’s blockbuster “atypical” antipsychotic, causes weight gain. So — why not use it to treat anorexia? For years, drug companies denied that the new antipsychotic medications, such as Seroquel and Risperdal, cause undue weight gain and even diabetes. Slowly, after private lawsuits and then disputes and negotiations with the Food and Drug Administration, Pharma came to acknowledge the side effect. Of the medications, the worst offender for metabolic changes was Zyprexa. In 2003, all drugs in the class received an FDA label concerning the risk of diabetes. Late last year, after large-scale outcome trials confirmed the extent of the problem, Lilly agreed to an additional warning indicating that the increases in blood glucose levels appeared to be greater with... [read full story]