Mo. Doctor Found Properly Joined in Woman's Zyprexa Lawsuit

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Missouri federal judge remanded a Zyprexa lawsuit on Dec. 22, finding that the plaintiff's in-state physician was properly joined, thus defeating diversity jurisdiction. Copeland v. Eli Lilly & Co., et al. No. 05-04318-cv (W.D. Mo.).

Shirley Copeland sued Eli Lilly & Co. and Dr. Howard R. Schwartz in the Circuit Court of Greene County, Missouri (No. 105CC4080).

Copeland claims Eli Lilly failed to warn about and misrepresented the dangers of its Zyprexa (olanzapine) antipsychotic drug. She also contends that Schwartz did not properly follow Zyprexa's prescribing information, did not correctly monitor her unspecified condition, …