Eli Lilly and Company Responds to Ruling in Zeneca Pharmaceuticals vs. Eli Lilly and Company Lawsuit

Strategic Insights -

A U.S. District Court in New York has issued a ruling in the case of Zeneca Pharmaceuticals vs. Eli Lilly and Company, a lawsuit alleging that Eli Lilly promoted Evista(R) (raloxifene HCl) as a breast cancer preventative. The court's opinion has been met with a statement from Eli Lilly, which emphasizes that the ruling will not impact its ability to detail physicians or affect product performance. The company has over 1.6 million Evista sales calls to date, with its promotional message for the drug's osteoporosis prevention and safety profile in line with the court's ruling.

Key Takeaways:

  • The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled in favor of Eli Lilly and Company in the case of Zeneca Pharmaceuticals vs. Eli Lilly and Company, denying Zeneca's request for corrective advertisements.
  • The ruling found no evidence to support Zeneca's claim that Eli Lilly is promoting Evista as a breast cancer preventative.
  • Eli Lilly has over 1.6 million Evista sales calls to date, with a small fraction of those calls referencing the promotional message in question.
  • The company will ensure its promotional message for Evista and the breast cancer data are communicated appropriately as part of its ongoing training program.
  • Eli Lilly disagrees with the court's opinion in several respects, particularly regarding the importance of qualifying discussions about Evista's breast cancer data.
  • The ruling could have broader implications for emerging data from ongoing studies.

Statistics:

  • 1.6 million: The number of Evista sales calls to date
  • Small fraction: The percentage of sales call volume referenced in the court's opinion

Sources:

  • PRNewswire
  • Eli Lilly and Company's official statement released on July 16th, 1999
  • Full press release available at www.prnewswire.com