Iowa Receives $1.4 Million in Depakote Settlement

The fight to receive compensation for damages due to Depakote usage has been on for some time now. The major concern has been that while Depakote was approved for treatment of Bipolar disorder, it was also being marketed to treat ailments that it had insufficient testing for. As such, the complications and side effects were not truly known as the drug was put to market.   Each state has been pursuing the parent company Abbott for it’s share of damages. Recently, Iowa came to settlement over the matter:   “DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa will receive more than $1.4 million from Abbott Laboratories to settle concerns that it improperly marketed its anti-seizure drug Depakote.   Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller says the money is the state’s share of a $1.5 billion settlement Abbott agreed to.   Depakote is an anti-seizure and mood-stabilizing drug that’s prescribed for bipolar disorder. Abbott admitted marketing Depakote for unapproved uses including dementia and schizophrenia in violation of FDA rules.” – CBS News   This result is a step in the right direction for helping individuals who were victim to Abbott’s malfeasance. From a business standpoint, marketing a drug to as many disorders as possible helps to maximize profits. However, when the appropriate testing is not conducted and a drug is pushed forward in the face of serious side effects, the company must be held accountable.   We will watch with great interest as other states attempt to procure their share of compensation.   To learn more about Depakote you can browse here.