Lilly's Lament

For a drug death: $6 million

For some 31 million Americans who suffer from arthritis, the drug Oraflex promised blessed relief when it was introduced in May 1982. A single dose of the remedy had the painkilling power of a dozen or more aspirin tablets. But Oraflex has turned into a bitter disappointment. More than 135 users in the U.S. and Europe have died. Last week a federal jury in Georgia settled the first of some 100 lawsuits against Oraflex's manufacturer, Eli Lilly & Co. of Indianapolis (1982 sales: $2.9 billion).

The jury declared Lilly responsible for the death of Lola T. Jones, 81, in July 1982 and ordered the company to pay $6 million to her son, Clarence Borom, who brought the suit. According to testimony, Lilly knew of the deaths of 29 Oraflex users in Europe when the firm began selling it in the U.S. Lilly recalled Oraflex in August 1982, though it still provides the drug to 700 U.S. patients who have not responded to other treatment. Borom's attorney, Neal Pope, said the verdict tells drug firms that "they had better be candid about their knowledge of side effects."

Lilly, the largest maker of prescription drugs in the U.S., has long been respected for its insulin and antibiotics. But it has had troubles with other products. Lilly developed Darvon, a painkiller that Ralph Nader's health group has attacked as being addictive, and marketed DES, a pregnancy drug that researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital linked to cancer. The company plans to appeal the Oraflex decision. With so many more cases still to be decided, Lilly has a huge stake in the outcome. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.