Pfizer Fined $2.3 Billion For Illegal Promotion Of Bextra, Geodon
In an eye-popping move, pharma giant Pfizer has agreed to pay $2.3 billion to settle charges of illegal marketing brought by the Department of Justice involving the painkiller Bextra, the antipsychotic Geodon, Zyvox, an antibiotic, and Lyrica, an anti-epileptic. The settlement includes a $1.2 billion criminal fine, a record, and a $105 million criminal forfeiture.
"Authorities said Pfizer's salesmen and women created phony doctor requests for medical information in order to send unsolicited information to doctors about unapproved uses and dosages."
Pfizer is also paying $1 billion to reimburse Medicaid.
Just anther day in the realms of Big Pharma.
Posted by Philip Dawdy at September 2, 2009 11:50 AM
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That "little" amount means they've made far,far more than they're getting fined but they've been caught and big pharma wants the world to think they've been chastised(and will repent-not gonna happen). I really don't think so. I've taken bextra,vioxx, and prozac.All were given to me initially as samples.
