Major U.S. drug company pays $2.3 billion for federal violations!

January 27, 2009
10:30 pm

Justice Seeker

Heather L. Ryan, R.N., C.L.N.C- Heather Ryan is a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant with 15 years of experience in the health care industry. Her expertise in reviewing medical records and assisting lawyers with the determination as to whether legal action should be taken provides an invaluable asset to the newsroom. Medical-malpractice, products liability, personal injury and workers’ compensation are some of the recent areas of litigation Ms. Ryan has focused her efforts on. A member of the Florida Justice Association, Heather maintains a long list of certifications and credentials to support her areas of expertise and stays up-to-date with her clinical knowledge working as an emergency room/trauma nurse, at a Level 1, Adult/Pediatric trauma and teaching institution in South Florida.

Major U.S. drug company pays $2.3 billion for federal violations!

Pfizer, Inc., one of the largest drug makers, will pay $2.3 billion for illegal marketing.

New York, NY (JusticeNewsFlash.com)–Pfizer Inc., the major drug manufacturer who announced on Monday it would acquire drug company rival Wyeth for $68 billion. Bloomberg reported today, Pfizer entered into an agreement with the U.S. Attorney in Massachusetts to pay a record $2.3 billion to settle allegations by the federal government in connections with their recalled popular pain medication Bextra.

Pfizer was accused of off label marketing and violating federal guidelines and standards in marketing their popular pain medication Bextra for uses not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) www.fda.gov. Pfizer, based in New York, recalled Bextra in 2005 amidst a national uproar involving highly prescribed and popular non-narcotic, non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory, COX-2 pain medication recalls like Vioxx and eventually Celebrex.

The settlement agreement in the federal government’s lawsuit against Pfizer is now the largest to date and tops the recent $1.42 billion Eli Lilly recently agreed to pay. Earlier this year drug maker, Lilly, agreed to a record $1.42 billion for violating federal off-label marketing standards with their famous antipsychotic drug, Zyprexa.

News Contributor: New York product liability attorneys