Texas Lawsuit Claims This Drugmaker Pushed Antipsychotic to Kids

Texas sued drugmaker in 2013 over off-label Seroquel marketing
State contends AstraZeneca violated previous U.S. settlement

The AstraZeneca Plc logo sits on a packet of tablets on a pharmacy counter in this arranged photograph in London, U.K., on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. The rapid pace of innovation among drugmakers may continue to be overshadowed by broader investment themes, such as the switch away from defensive stocks into more cyclical industries, during 2017, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

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By Margaret Cronin Fisk and Jef Feeley

November 17, 2017 at 10:00 AM UTC

Updated on

November 17, 2017 at 2:17 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

AstraZeneca Plc is in talks to settle a Texas lawsuit claiming that the company fleeced the state’s Medicaid program by fraudulently marketing one of its top drugs, according to court filings.

Texas sued the drugmaker in 2013, saying AstraZeneca had targeted the state’s Medicaid program by urging doctors to prescribe the powerful antipsychotic Seroquel for unauthorized treatments -- particularly for children -- over six years.