Justice Department Files to Intervene in Whistleblower Kickback Case Against Pfizer

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has filed a motion to intervene in a whistleblower suit against pharmaceutical company Pfizer's Wyeth unit for paying illegal kickbacks to physicians and promoting non-FDA approved uses of the organ transplant drug Rapamune, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The suit, which was filed in 2005 by two former Wyeth sales representatives, alleges that Wyeth promoted Rapamune, an immunosuppressant, for use in lung transplants, although it was approved by the FDA for kidney transplants only. Additionally, the suit alleges Wyeth provided cash and other kickbacks to physicians to induce them to prescribe Rapamune. The suit also alleges these violations led to the submitting of false claims to government health programs, according to the report.

Last year, Pfizer paid $2.3 billion to settle an investigation that it promoted off label use of pain drug Bextra and other products.

Read the Wall Street Journal report on the Pfizer kickback suit.

Read more coverage on Pfizer:

- 5 Antikickback Cases Making Headlines

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