Pfizer pays $300 million to resolve allegations of off-label marketing of its antipsychotic drug Geodon

“Pfizer targeted pediatrics and adolescents to expand off-label use and maintained on its payroll an army of more than 250 child psychiatrists nationwide. Pfizer regularly paid generous speaking fees to these child psychiatrists to give what were basically promotional lectures about the benefits of Geodon to their peers, who were naturally also child psychiatrists, despite the fact the drug is not FDA-approved or medically indicated to treat children at all.” According to (filing attorney), “the purpose and intent of paying so many child psychiatrists is clear — to gain a foothold within the fastest growing market for antipsychotics — children.”

PRNewswire
September 2, 2009

PHILADELPHIA — Pfizer, Inc. announced today it has agreed to plead guilty to criminal conduct and to pay more than $2 billion in criminal and civil fines, penalties and damages to settle allegations made in multiple whistleblower lawsuits that the pharmaceutical giant defrauded Medicare, Medicaid and other government-funded health care programs in connection with its market practices for four of its drugs. The settlement is the largest qui tam settlement in U.S. history.

Brian Kenney and Tavy Deming of Kenney Egan McCafferty & Young represented the Geodon whistleblowers and served as co-counsel to the Zyvox whistleblower.

As part of the record settlement, Pfizer agreed to pay $300 million to resolve allegations that it engaged in off-label marketing of its blockbuster atypical antipsychotic Geodon, which generated over $1 billion dollars in sales in 2008. The allegations were first made in a qui tam lawsuit filed by Kenney and Deming on behalf of Harrisburg psychiatrist, Dr. Stefan Kruszewski. Pfizer also agreed to pay $100 million to resolve allegations that it improperly marketed its antibiotic Zyvox. That case was filed by Ronald Rainero, a former Pfizer sales manager from New Jersey.

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