Atypical Antipsychotics

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Injured by an Atypical Antipsychotic drug?

Atypical antipsychotic medications include Abilify, Geodon, Risperdal, Seroquel and Zyprexa.  These newer antispychotic medications were developed to treat psychosis such as schizophrenia and acute bipolar mania, but with fewer side effects.  The first of the new atypical antipsychotic drugs to receive approval was risperidone (Risperdal). It was followed by olanzapine (Zyprexa), and quetiapine (Seroquel).

All of these drugs were marketed as having full antipsychotic activity but with the advantage of fewer and less severe motor side effects and extrapyramidal symptoms such as akathisia (restlessness and fidgety movements), tardive dyskinesia (involuntary, uncontrollable movements), and akinesia (drug-induced Parkinsonianism, including tremors).  However, these newer psychotropic drugs have been linked with increased risk of diabetes and other blood sugar disorders and are blamed for the injuries and deaths of thousands of victims. 

In June 2005, Eli Lilly, Zyprexa's manufacturer, announced that it would settle thousands of claims filed by Zyprexa side effects victims.  The settlement covers approximately 8,000 victims of Zyprexa side effects who experienced serious injury or death.  Between 1996 and 2003, Zyprexa's label listed hyperglycemia and diabetes as infrequent side effects of the drug.  In 2003, the FDA required the atypical antipsychotic medications to adequately warn about the risk of diabetes and other blood sugar disorders.