John Oliver’s tragically funny Big Pharma lampoon went viral. Maybe because, like most incisive satire, his piece is rooted in truth. Here’s some of the shocking evidence with respect to the marketing of antipsychotic drugs such as quetiapine (Seroquel) and risperdone (Risperdal) to elderly people with dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease:
On April 27, 2010, as mentioned in Oliver’s piece, AstraZeneca LP and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP was ordered to pay $520 million to resolve allegations that it illegally marketed the anti-psychotic drug Seroquel (quetiapine) for uses not approved as safe and effective by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Specifically, it marketed the drug for uses that were not FDA improved including aggression, Alzheimer’s disease, anger management, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar maintenance, dementia, depression, mood disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and sleeplessness.
According to the settlement agreement:
“AstraZeneca targeted its illegal marketing of the anti-psychotic Seroquel towards doctors who do not typically treat schizophrenia or bipolar disorder [for which the drug had FDA approval], such as physicians who treat the elderly, primary care physicians, pediatric and adolescent physicians, and in long-term care facilities and prisons.” (Italics mine.)