Pfizer Settles With DOJ for $35 Million in Genotropin Scandal; Who Knew?

As expected, Pfizer has settled with the DOJ over the off-label marketing of Genotropin. The price is $34.7 million; probably an insignificant sum in terms of reporting to the SEC. Read the news here.

If you want the full background on this sordid saga, read Brandweek's lengthy account of it here.

Without wishing to be a blowhard about it, I'd like to note that what Pfizer is pleading guilty to today--including the alleged kickback scheme that Peter Rost said existed with Express Scripts--is pretty much exactly what I reported a year ago.

Rost, in fact, is already doing his victory dance.

Let us not forget all the other important people in the drug biz who are loosely, so very loosely, connected to this scandal:

First, there's Schering-Plough CEO Fred Hassan, the former chief of Pharmacia, who asked his lieutenants to "follow up" when Pharmacia was first approached by an anti-aging quack to get into the off-label human growth hormone business. Pharmacia ended up signing a contract with that guy and he bought plenty of HGH.

Then there's Jeff Kindler, the CEO of Pfizer, who as counsel to Pfizer was warned by Rost that Pharmacia was engaged in off-label marketing prior to PFE's acquisition of the company. Pfizer bought the company anyway!

And there's Marie Caroline Sainpy, Pfizer's SVP US Pharmaceuticals marketing and worldwide commercial development, who fired Rost after he started complaining about Genotropin's marketing.

Don't forget Margriet Gabriel-Regis, an svp at Schering-Plough in the specialty care customer group--while at Pharmacia she wrote a memo telling Pharmacia staff that off-label marketing was wrong but that Pharmacia was going to conduct "a series of clinical studies" to "explore clinical endpoints in the elderly" anyway!

What about Steve Mahinka, the Morgan Lewis & Bockius lawyer who wrote a hilarious memo in February 2000 advising Pharmacia it was OK to get into the anti-aging business even though it was off-label? Why so hilarious? Because it neglected to mention the criminal statute that controls HGH marketing. D'oh!

Lastly, there's Rick Collier, the former general counsel at Pharmacia, who's now general counsel at Elan Pharma, who bought that advice from Mahinka.

The DOJ says thanks for the check.

Comments

[Tom]

Generic Celecoxib (Celebrex) is a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) that represents a huge breakthrough in the treatment of pain, inflammation, and stiffness of arthritis. http://www.caldrugs.com/pill/Celebrex.html

Generic Naprosyn (NAPROXEN) is a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) used to relieve pain and swelling (inflammation). It is also used to treat headaches, muscle aches, backaches, tendonitis, bursitis, dental pain, menstrual cramps, arthritis, or gout. Generic Naprosyn may be used to reduce fever, or relieve minor aches and pain due to the common cold or flu. This medicine works by blocking the enzyme in your body that makes prostaglandins. Decreasing prostaglandins helps to reduce pain, swelling, and fever. http://www.caldrugs.com/pill/Naprosyn.html

[generic viagra]

# children who do not make enough growth hormone on their own. This condition is called growth hormone deficiency (GHD).
# children who were born smaller than most other babies born after the same number of weeks of pregnancy. Some of these babies may not show catch-up growth by age 2. This condition is called small for gestational age (SGA).
# children with a genetic condition called Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). Growth hormone is not right for all children with PWS. Check with your doctor.

[Air Jordan Flight 9]

That's like saying who has commitments to its company, and should ignore family or social responsibilities.and we,too.that's good for us to strong ourselves.now support my website,link my name,some new products are showing for you.

[generic viagra medication]

Good information about Pfizer. I would like to listen the news about pharma companys and would like write articles about it on my pharmacy blog.

Thanks for providing this settlement keep posting and updating the latest news about all the pharmacy company's.

Best Regards
Smith Alan
http://healthandfitness.blog.co.uk/

[ajf8]

We do not at all times get our hopes and dreams, and we never generally get our very own way.There's an interesting gendering to that commercial, too. Men as soldiers, women as child care providers or as children. The latter is where the game language comes in.

[jordan 13]

It was an intermittent thing that was cropping up so I changed it to another link. It should work for you now. I hope you enjoy.now link my name to see something others,take care!

[Impotence causes]

For me it is a pleasure to comment on a blog like this, to me personally I liked very much reading, I agree with everything they say the above comments, I think if every day items like these appear in the network, I would sit at my computer reading these articles.

[supra shoes]

Was well written

[pfizer viagra]

Pfizer have billion of dollars. Why they need more?

[pfizer viagra]

Pfizer have billion of dollars. Why they need more?

[pfizer viagra]

Pfizer always like scandals. It is like advertisement for them

[sildenafil]

Pfizer always like scandals. It is like advertisement for them

[cheap air jordans]

I want to bring out the secrets of nature and apply them for the happiness of man . I don't know of any better service to offer for the short time we are in the world .

[Generic Viagra]

Hi...

Nice post, I would like to request you to one more post about that

Keep it up

[simon]

Hi...

Nice post, I would like to request you to one more post about that
http://www.genericsmed.com
Keep it up

[zenegra]

Such an incredible way to show the opinion? cool I have to admit ? I do believe you are too good at your work and so perfect with all your opinions. Hats off what an excellent information you've with this issue?

[zenegra]

Such an incredible way to show the opinion? cool I have to admit ? I do believe you are too good at your work and so perfect with all your opinions. Hats off what an excellent information you've with this issue?

[Supra TK Society]

BABY....YOU ARE MY OWN STAR....NOW I CAN'T LEAD MY WAY....

[ClubPenguinCheats]

I do believe you are too good at your work and so perfect with all your opinions.

[supra shoes for boy]

well this blog is great i love reading your articles.