Rhode Island to receive $908,838 from AstraZeneca settlement

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island is expected to receive $908,838 from a $68.5 million settlement with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP from alleged improper marketing of Seroquel, an antipsychotic drug.

R.I. Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced the settlement on Thursday along with 37 other attorneys general.

Of Rhode Island’s share, $65,000 will go to the attorney general’s office to cover expenses associated with the case and for other administrative costs. The remainder will be deposited in to the state’s general fund, Kilmartin spokeswoman Amy Kempe said.

The complaint alleges that AstraZeneca engaged in unfair and deceptive practices when it marketed Seoquel for unapproved or off-label uses, failed to adequately disclose the drug’s potential side effects to health care providers and withheld negative information contained in scientific studies concerning the safety and efficacy of Seroquel.

“When dealing with the health and safety of consumers, pharmaceutical companies have an obligation to practice absolute transparency and honesty about the safety and effectiveness of prescription medications,” Kilmartin said in a news release.

AstraZeneca agreed to change how it markets the antipsychotic drug and to cease promoting its off-label uses, which are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; AstraZeneca allegedly unlawfully marketed Seroquel for use in pediatric and geriatric populations for Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and post traumatic stress disorder.

As part of the settlement, AstraZeneca agreed to: