Big pharma will say a drug will do anything if it will make them more money.

lets see...

i do something illegal that earned me $4.9 billions and i only have to pay a fine of $600 millions.

Are they hiring? I think i can pretty damn good at this.

We, American, worry about illegal immigrant using our resources for free (though they provide cheap labor); but we let these drug companies sell us snake oil that cost us money and health. Not an ounce of outrage.

We, American, worry about where Obama born, but not our own health. We let these drug company get away with our money. WHERE ARE THE OUTRAGES?

So Mr. TeaBagger and Mr. TreeHugger, both of you can go fuk yourselves.

Isn't that way less than they pay their lobbyists?

Satire:

We need less regulation so more off-market prescription can be done. The FDA doesn't let people get used as guinea pigs. Down with regulations! Insert obligatory big government and [person who was president in the last two decades] reference where appropriate. Then [blame one political party or both].

If a pharma company wants to figure out another drug use it requires another NDA, and if it isn't the money, it's the time involved. In the time it may take to clear another NDA you will probably lose patent protection.

If you shorten patent protection times then there's no incentive to develop a new drug if you can only sell it for a month before patent protection expires. If you extend patent protection too far then a drug company can make one product, then fire R&D staff and coast along to the finish line on that single product. On the plus hand it'd encourage people to attempt to get around the patent issue by churning out new drugs. On the minus hand, whoever has the drug first is going to dominate the market and will effectively charge what they want for a very long time without the spectre of generics on the horizon.

screw the FDA. majority of senators and their families use prescribed drugs for off label use. seroquel is one of the only drugs that works for insomnia and sleep related disorders, and this company that has provided such a positive relief for millions is getting fined? so we really are a socialist state now arent we? thanks, AstraZeneca, for helping me through a seriously rough time with your medication, while i wait the next year out for my surgery. god bless you, and curse to hell the FDA and any govt official that thinks this fine is appropriate. you use offlabel prescripts, and by backing this measure you are going straight to hell. god doesnt forget.

RealAmerican-First off they got fined because they PROMOTED it when they didn't have the right to. It doesn't say that they can't use it that way they just have to get it approved first. so take another and go take a nap! Besides 560,000 isn't even a scratch to the surface of the 4.9 BILLION they made off this drug alone! you will still be able to get it!

NOW you wonder why health care is so expensive? couldn't be because the drugs are outragously priced could it?

Why fine a corporation? They will just raise prices to compensate and the consumer ends up paying the fine.

Better to fine or jail the individuals who made the decision.

Screw 'em I'll stick to Medical Marijuana for my insomnia !! It works and no one has ever died from an overdoze of pot !!You only fall asleep !!Oops it's 420 time for my meds !!

Seroquel was suppose to go generic next year (2011) but somhow the FDA granted Astra another year of exclusivity in exchange for them doing a study. Why wasn't their punishment to revoke the special deal so all users of this drug can benefit? Why should they get the extra profit from this drug when they are not obeying the FDA rules?

One small step for mankind. Hopefully. I still don't understand why Dr's are allowed to prescribe any drug for any condition that isn't listed as a reason, or an approved age for that drug. If the drug is for "X", why can they prescribe for "A, B, C"? Change that and it will severely limit the little pads of paper flying off the cuffs of questionable Doctors!

Where is our blame for the food and drug administration, aren't they the ones who okay it for market?? Don't they get the last word on it being given to the public.

lets see take in 4.9 billion..............pay a 520 M illion fine..........I'm all in...WTF?????????

I think the last line says it all:

Doctors are eager to get the latest treatments for their patients, especially if other physicians are also prescribing the medication.

.....Doctors are supposed to know better than to use these drugs for unapproved purposes....seems to me, they are just as guilty as tha Drug company ( not to say that the drug companies are not guilty of pushing unapproved uses to the doctors).

Ultimately, it is the doctor that prescribed it to thier patients....seems to me that no one is looking out for us.....not the FDA, not the drug companies, not our doctors....buyer....BEWARE!

Another slap on the wrist for a wealthy American company... they basically endangered people's health for money. When will our courts stop kneeling down before the business criminals?

If the drug helped people, what's the big deal? The FDA takes years to approve alternative uses that were discovered during testing and drug trails. How many people die every year waiting on a drug to be approved. AstraZeneca (AZ) spent billions researching, developing, and testing this drug and they deserve to make a profit. All you people who sit there and bash the big drug makers and the pharmaceutical industry in general need to realize that if it wasn't for these "greedy" companies, we wouldn't have 90% of the lifesaving drugs we have today. AZ deserves to make a profit, and I bet they put a good portion of that profit into the development of their next life saving/changing wonder drug. How much do all of you want to bet that Seroquel will eventually be approved for the alternate uses AZ was just fined for?

I was given this drug for insomnia for a few years. Where is my check?

Wow and all my life I was told crime dosnot pay, They lied to me CRIME REALY DOSE PAY MILLIONS & MILLIONS IF YOUR A DEM. or REPUBLICAN in CONGRESS, SENATE,or WHITE HOUSE!!!!