What kind of company is ABILIFY?

ABILIFY

ABILIFY is a brand name for the drug aripiprazole, which is used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. It is manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb in partnership with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company. The medication was first approved by the US FDA in 2002, and has been used to treat various mental illnesses since then.

ABILIFY MyCite

In 2017, ABILIFY became the first drug in the US to be approved by the FDA with a digital ingestion tracking system. ABILIFY MyCite is a type of the drug with a built-in sensor that communicates with a patch worn on the skin. The patch records the time of ingestion and transmits the information to a smartphone app that patients can download. The app can also share the information with healthcare providers and family members with the patient's consent.

Lawsuits and Controversies

ABILIFY has faced several lawsuits in the US, Canada, and other countries from patients who claimed the medication caused them to develop compulsive behaviors, including gambling, binge eating, and hypersexuality. In 2019, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical settled with thousands of people who sued the companies over compulsive behavior they blamed on ABILIFY. The terms of the settlement were confidential.

Additionally, the US Department of Justice accused Bristol-Myers Squibb of promoting ABILIFY off-label for use in children and for treating various conditions for which it had not been approved. Bristol-Myers Squibb paid a $515 million settlement in 2007 to resolve these allegations.