Novartis pays $422 million fine for illegal promotion off-label use of Trileptal for bipolar disorder

VIA Pharmalot:

"Novartis will pay $422.5 million for illegally promoting its Trileptal epilepsy med for unapproved uses, such as bipolar disorder and neuropathic pain, along with five other drugs - Diovan, Zelnorm, Sandostatin, Exforge and Tekturna. The fine includes roughly $237 million to settle four lawsuits brought by whistleblowers, while $185 million goes toward criminal penalties.

This is the latest in a stream of settlements involving big drugmakers. In recent weeks, Allergan paid $600 million for illegally marketing Botox and Forest Laboratories paid $313 million for improperly promoting three meds. Other marquee names to run afoul of the law: Pfizer, which paid a $2.3 billion fine; Eli Lilly paid $1.4 billion; AstraZeneca paid $520 million and Bristol-Myers Squibb paid $515 million."
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Side Effects from Trileptal (oxcarbazepine)

http://www.rxlist.com/trileptal-drug.htm

Nervous System:

Aggressive reaction, amnesia, anguish, anxiety, apathy, aphasia, aura, convulsions aggravated, delirium, delusion, depressed level of consciousness, dysphonia, dystonia, emotional lability, euphoria, extrapyramidal disorder, feeling drunk, hemiplegia, hyperkinesia, hyperreflexia, hypoesthesia, hypokinesia, hyporeflexia, hypotonia, hysteria, libido decreased, libido increased, manic reaction, migraine, muscle contractions involuntary, nervousness, neuralgia, oculogyric crisis, panic disorder, paralysis, paranoia, personality disorder, psychosis, ptosis, stupor, tetany.

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My daughter was rx'd Trileptal 2 times by inpatient psychiatrists, given to her for an erroneous diagnosis which then placed her in grave danger via the side effects that were noted by myself to the doctors in question both times. Extreme psychosis and a host of the other side effects as a result of the Trileptal dosed to her--happened. She no longer takes the Trileptal and no longer has any of the psychiatric side effects the drug created.

It is imperative for patients to monitor psychiatric changes in a person on these drugs, because doctors WILL attribute the behaviors as 'illness' related, when in fact they can be drug induced.

Ask yourself which drug you take that has landed in a DOJ illegal marketing off-label use fine category and question whether or not you have been duped, as well as your doctor by prescribing the drug based on a pharma company influential marketing tactic.

Ever wonder why some meds work and some don't? keep wondering.