Lilly reports $75 million drug theft

Prozac, Cymbalta, Zyprexa among products reported stolen from Connecticut warehouse.

On Sunday, March 14, thieves stole drugs worth as much as $75 million from an Eli Lilly & Co. warehouse, the company said yesterday. The distribution center, located in Enfield, CT, was robbed during the weekend’s heavy rainstorms.

FDA has also reported several other recent cargo thefts. One occurred on January 29 in Puerto Rico, where sanofi aventis products—including Ambien CR, Lantus, and Lovenox—were stolen. On March 3, cases of H-E-B OTC products and dietary supplements were stolen from a tractor trailer in Dallas. Mead Johnson infant formula products were stolen on March 13 at a truck stop in Richwood, KY.

“The U.S. pharmaceutical distribution system is tightly controlled and monitored, making it extremely difficult for stolen product to make it to patients through legitimate channels,” Fionnuala Walsh, PhD, Lilly Senior Vice President of Global Quality, said in a news release. “However, we will continue to work closely with local and federal law enforcement authorities, the FDA, and our distribution partners to maintain the integrity of our drug supply chain.”

Lilly announced that it had stopped distributing the following 33 lots of drugs affected by the robbery:

• Alimta (pemetrexed) A671076C
• Cymbalta (duloxetine) A643056A, A662278C, A662281A, A672999A, A685790A
• Effient (prasugrel) A650259A
• Gemzar (gemcitabine) A670185A, A668160D, A670177A, A670180A, A670182A
• Prozac (fluoxetine) A599046D, A689619D, A602567A
• Strattera (atomoxetine) A621189A, A678353A, A621202A, A621205C
• Symbyax (fluoxetine/olanzapine) A562684A
• Zyprexa (olanzapine) A644710A, A668322A, A646193A, A641350C, A668323A, A647860A, A690238A, A677956A, A677958C, A632252D
• Zyprexa Zydis (olanzapine) 976041A, 971159A, 963999A

Lilly reported that products from these lots that were delivered to retailers, wholesalers, or institutions before March 14 are not affected by the theft and remain approved for their intended use. The company cautioned consumers to purchase products only from well-established and reputable retailers and to inspect products and labels for signs of tampering before use. Pharmacists and health professionals should not use a product if it has been removed from a sealed bottle or container, if its induction seal is broken, or, in the case of a glass vial, if its flip cap has been disturbed.

Any information about the stolen products can be reported to the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations at 800-551-3989. More information about the lots affected by the robbery is available on the Eli Lilly website. For medical or other related inquiries, contact Eli Lilly at 800-545-5979. On his blog, APhA CEO Tom Menighan commented on the theft and suggested ways that pharmacists can be sure their patients are not receiving stolen or counterfeit products.

Posted by Alex Egervary (aegervary@aphanet.org)
March 18, 2010, 5:00 pm