Pfizer Broke Law by Promoting Drugs for Wrong Uses In Violation of Pledge Nov 9, 2009
In the same time period that Pfizer was marketing Bextra off-label, the companys sales force was promoting another drug, Zyvox, improperly, Pfizer admitted at the time of its September plea agreement. Zyvox was approved in 2000 by the FDA for treating MRSA- caused pneumonia and skin infections ... Raniero told federal prosecutors that Pfizer began the Zyvox campaign in 2001. (Bloomberg)
Cempra, $46M in bank, starts trial on drug Sep 10, 2009
The human testing announced Wednesday, the first of two key trials for the antibiotic, will test the safety and effectiveness of CEM-102 in comparison with linezolid, an FDA-approved drug marketed by in the U.S. under the name Zyvox. Cempra expects to enroll 880 patients in the trial. (Raleigh Triangle Business Journal, NC)
Pfizer to pay $2.3 billion, agrees to criminal plea Sep 5, 2009
Pfizer denied all of the civil allegations, except for acknowledging improper promotions of the antibiotic Zyvox ... Pfizer said it will pay 503 million to resolve practices involving Bextra, 301 million related to its schizophrenia drug Geodon, 98 million for Zyvox and about 50 million for its blockbuster Lyrica used to treat nerve pain and seizures. (Yahoo News -- Pharmaceutical Industry News)
Pfizer to Pay Record Fine in Fraud Probe Sep 4, 2009
The other drugs were Geodon, an antipsychotic; Zyvox, an antibiotic; and Lyrica, an anti-epileptic drug, the Justice Department said in a news release. In each case, the Justice Department accused Pfizer of marketing the drugs for uses other than those approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a practice called "off-label" use. (MEDLINEplus)
Virginia to benefit from largest heath care fraud settlement in U.S. history Sep 4, 2009
In addition, Pfizer has agreed to pay 1 billion to resolve allegations under the civil False Claims Act that the company illegally promoted four drugs - Bextra; Geodon, an anti-psychotic drug; Zyvox, an antibiotic; and Lyrica, an anti-epileptic drug - and caused false claims to be submitted to government health care programs for uses that were not medically accepted indications and therefore not covered by those programs. The civil settlement also resolves allegations that Pfizer paid kickbacks... (Chatham Star Tribune, VA)
Pfizer's huge fine: A disturbing trend Sep 4, 2009
3 billion: That's the price pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to pay in a settlement Wednesday over its misleading marketing for the painkiller Bextra, the antipsychotic Geodon, the antibiotic Zyvox, and another painkiller, Lyrica ... Pfizer also Zyvox as a treatment for specific kinds of bacteria on which the drug had no effect. (Salon)
Pfizer to pay record $2.3B penalty Sep 4, 2009
The civil settlement announced Wednesday covered Pfizer's promotions of Bextra, blockbuster nerve pain and epilepsy treatment Lyrica, schizophrenia medicine Geodon, antibiotic Zyvox and nine other medicines. The agreement with the Justice Department resolves the investigation into promotion of all those drugs, Pfizer said. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
AIG of Drugmakers Pfizer Is Too Big to Be Guilty Sep 4, 2009
The Justice Department the company marketed off-label uses for Bextra, Geodon, Zyvox and Lyrica and paid kickbacks to doctors for pitching and prescribing those and other drugs. We are talking everything from Aricept to Zyrtec. (Bloomberg -- Columnists)
Pfizer agrees record fraud fine Sep 3, 2009
These were Bextra, an anti-inflammatory drug, Geodon, an anti-psychotic drug, Zyvox, an antibiotic and Lyrica, an epilepsy treatment. The investigation was trigged by allegations made by six whistleblowers. (BBC News -- Business)
Arizona to get part of drug marketing settlement Sep 3, 2009
3 billion federal settlement with Pfizer over its marketing of Geodon and three other products - Bextra, an anti-inflammatory drug; Zyvox, an antibiotic; and Lyrica, an epilepsy drug. Last October, Arizona and 31 other states reached a $60 million settlement with Pfizer over its promotion of Bextra and Celebrex, another anti-inflammatory drug. (FOX 11, AZ)
Pfizer agrees to record drug dispute settlement Sep 3, 2009
The case arose from allegations that Pfizer illegally marketed Bextra, the anti-psychotic drug Geodon, the antibiotic Zyvox, and Lyrica, an anti-epileptic drug, for uses that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The Justice Department had alleged that Pfizer's inappropriate marketing "caused false claims to be submitted to government health care programs for uses that were not medically accepted indications and therefore not covered by those programs.". (Yahoo! Asia News)
Kentucky, other states settle with Pfizer Sep 3, 2009
False claims about the safety and efficacy of the antibiotic Zyvox, which was approved to treat drug-resistant infections. Illegal payments to health care professionals in return for prescribing Bextra, Geodon, Lyrica, Zyvox, Aricept, Celebrex, Lipitor, Norvasc, Viagra, Zithromax, Zoloft and Zyrtec. (Louisville Business First, KY)
Brown Wins $37.5M For California Sep 3, 2009
- Making false representations about the safety and efficacy of Zyvox, an antibiotic only approved to treat certain drug resistant infections. The settlement also contends that Pfizer paid illegal kickbacks to health care professionals to induce them to promote and prescribe Bextra, Geodon, Lyrica, Zyvox, Aricept, Celebrex, Lipitor, Norvasc, Relpax, Viagra, Zithromax, Zoloft and Zyrtec. (KERO 23, CA)
A $2.3 billion fine? Thats hitting a mule with a 24 Sep 3, 2009
The agreement also includes some promotional practices involving other Pfizer drugs Zyvox, Geodon and Lyrica. The investigation was launched after John Kopchinski, a Gulf War veteran and Pfizer sales rep, went to the government to report the company was promoting Bextra illegally. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Pfizer fined $2.3 billion for illegal marketing in off-label drug case Sep 3, 2009
Besides Bextra, the drugs were Geodon, an antipsychotic; Zyvox, an antibiotic; and Lyrica, an anti-epileptic drug. Once the Food and Drug Administration approves drugs, doctors can prescribe them off-label for any use, but makers can't market them for anything other than approved uses. (USA Today -- Money)
Pfizer will pay $2.3B to settle allegations of illegally promoting drugs Sep 3, 2009
Pfizer also will pay $1 billion to resolve allegations under the civil False Claims Act that the company illegally promoted four drugs Bextra; Geodon, an anti-psychotic drug; Zyvox, an antibiotic; and Lyrica, an anti-epileptic drug and caused false claims to be submitted to government health care programs for uses that weren t medically accepted and therefore weren t covered by those programs ... Pfizer acknowledged in a release certain improper actions related to the promotion of Zyvox but... (San Jose Business Journal, CA)
Pfizer to pay $2.3B, Missouri to get $22M Sep 3, 2009
The pharmaceutical giant announced the finalized agreement with the on Wednesday to settle allegations that it improperly promoted numerous drug, including pain reliever Bextra, which Pfizer pulled from the market in 2005, and Zyvox, Geodon and Lyrica. The agreement also settles allegation that Pfizer paid kickbacks to health care professionals to induce them to promote and prescribe its medications. (St. Louis Business Journal, MO)
Md. among states settling with Pfizer Sep 3, 2009
Pfizer also agreed to pay $1 billion to resolve civil allegations under the False Claims Act that it illegally promoted Bextra, Geodon, the antibiotic Zyvox and the anti-epileptic drug Lyrica. Most Read Stories. (Baltimore Business Journal, MD)
Pfizer faces US probe, to pay $2.3 bn Sep 3, 2009
Pfizer said it denies all of the civil allegations in the lawsuit with the exception of certain improper actions related to promoting Zyvox. The civil payments include $503 million involving Bextra, $301 million for the schizophrenia drug Geodon, $98 million for the antibiotic Zyvox, and $50 million for the pain drug Lyrica. (India Times)
Pfizer To Pay Record $2.3B For Backing Off-Label Use Of Drugs Sep 3, 2009
The settlement announced Wednesday also covered Pfizer's promotions of three other drugs: Geodon, an anti-psychotic, Zyvox, an antibiotic, and Lyrica, an anti-epileptic. Under terms of the settlement, Pfizer must pay $1 billion to compensate Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal health care programs. (W-USA News, DC)
Ga. to net $21.7 million from Pfizer settlement Sep 3, 2009
The Justice Department accused the New York-based company and its subsidiaries of operating marketing campaigns to promote several of its drugs, including Geodon, Lyrica, Zyvox and the now-off-the market Bextra, for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The government also accused the firm of giving illegal kickbacks to health care workers via cash, travel and entertainment so they would promote and prescribe those medicines as well as Lipitor, Zyrtec and Viagra. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Business)
Pfizer profit dips 2 percent Apr 29, 2009
The few strong performers included heavily promoted fibromyalgia and nerve pain treatment Lyrica, up 17 percent to $684 million, and antibiotic Zyvox, up 9 percent to $283 million. Revenue from veteran medicines was down 13 percent, to $537 million. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
Pfizer profit dips 2 percent, sales fall much more Apr 28, 2009
The few strong performers included heavily promoted fibromyalgia and nerve pain treatment Lyrica, up 17 percent to $684 million, and antibiotic Zyvox, up 9 percent to $283 million. "During the quarter, we continued our ongoing efforts to reshape our operating model, made substantial progress in planning for the Wyeth integration, and faced a challenging and dynamic economic and competitive environment," Chief Executive Jeff Kindler said in a statement. (Fresno Bee -- Business)
