Bextra, Geodon, and Lyrica are the three drugs in question with off label use. This sounds pretty aggressive as Blue Cross wants quite a few “cash” rewards, to the point of 3 months worth of Pfizer’s advertising budget. Pfizer has already settled 40 similar cases and one with the US Government. Pfizer has since gone back to the FDA to try to win approval to market Lyrica for anxiety and was turned down, so this remains off label.
FDA Says No to Pfizer’s Pain Medication Lyrica for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Last year there was the record $2 billion dollar settlement with the Department of Justice on similar allegations, so this sounds kind of like a “me too” suit in view of other cases that have been resolved with the only difference here is that an insurance company is looking for restitution which may be a bit more difficult. BD
A Texas health insurance company is suing Pfizer Inc. saying the drug maker deceptively marketed three of its top-selling drugs, illegally encouraging doctors to prescribe them for non-approved uses and paying kickbacks to doctors.
Health Care Service Corp., which runs Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and covers 12.4 million people in four states, filed the lawsuit against Pfizer on June 4. Pfizer has settled other similar lawsuits and agreed in September to pay $2.3 billion in civil and criminal penalties over its promotion of Bextra, Lyrica, Geodon and other drugs.
The lawsuit names Pfizer, its Pharmacia & Upjohn unit and four individuals: Rick Burch, who led Pfizer's arthritis and pain drug business; Jake Friedman, who led the business responsible for promoting drugs including Lyrica and Geodon; Mark Brown, who was involved in marketing anti-infection and HIV and AIDS drugs; and Matthew Lustig, a district sales manager in South Florida.
Texas Blue Cross plan sues Pfizer over marketing | Pharmaceutical Processing
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