The New Lawsuit on Pfizer with Previous Blows Back
According to the Reuters report, on Apr 3, 2013, Wed, an appellate judge panel in Boston held the ruling on Pfizer Inc., which is the largest US drugmaker. In the ruling, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan was supported for its appeal to Pfizer that it suffered. Pfizer was asked to pay about $142 million to cover the lose.
The lawsuit focus was on the epilepsy drug Neurontin. Kaiser claimed Pfizer’s “deceive” marketing plan by offering “exaggerated” label. According to the jury, Neurontin was labeled for bipolar disorder, migraines and neuropathic pain. However, in fact none of those applications was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
Neurontin was developed by a Warner-Lambert unit, which get approval in 1993 to treat seizures at a maximum dose of 1800 milligrams per day. Warner-Lambert was later acquired by Pfizer. In 2004, Pfizer was asked to pay for $240 million criminal fine as well as a $190 million civil fine due to its off-label marketing.
Besides the Kaiser case, Pfizer also will face two similar revived affairs from Aetna and Harden Manufacturing Corp whose lawsuits were previously rejected by lower court.
Article Link: The New Lawsuit on Pfizer with Previous Blows Back
Tags: Pfizer, Neurontin, Lawsuit, Off-label Marketing