INDIANAPOLIS — Eli Lilly & Co. taught its sales force a catchy slogan to peddle the antipsychotic drug Zyprexa for treating the elderly.
Company salespeople told care providers that 5 milligrams of Zyprexa at 5 p.m. — or “5 at 5” — would help dementia patients sleep. The only problem: Regulators never approved selling the drug for dementia, and federal prosecutors say marketing like that led to a record $1.42 billion settlement with Lilly announced Thursday.
The Indianapolis company agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce and pay $615 million to resolve the criminal case.
It also agreed to pay roughly $800 million to resolve a civil case. The company said in a statement it admits no wrongdoing in that case.
Colorado’s share of the settlement is more than $2.6 million, money that will go toward the state Medicaid program.
