West Virginia Settles Lawsuit Against Drug Maker for $22.5 Million

Eli Lilly & Co. will pay $22.5 million to settle a federal lawsuit filed by the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office over the popular anti-psychotic drug Zyprexa.

In the settlement, the Indianapolis-based company agreed to pay $15.75 million to West Virginia and $6.75 million to lawyers who represented the state.

The settlement says $14.75 million will be used to fund behavioral health care, and the remaining $1 million will go to consumer protection.

Lilly didn’t acknowledge wrongdoing. West Virginia had claimed the company improperly marketed the drug.

Lilly settled a lawsuit over Zyprexa involving 30 states in January for $1.42 billion. The company still faces lawsuits in 11 other states.

U.S. District Judge Jack Weinstein in Brooklyn, N.Y., approved West Virginia’s settlement in late July.