Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Pfizer - a forensic examination of the gabapentin story

In 1996, Dr. David Franklin, an employee of the drug company Parke-Davis, filed the lawsuit under federal whistleblower statutes alleging that the company was illegally promoting an epilepsy drug called Neurontin (gabapentin) for so called “off-label” uses.

Under federal law, once the FDA approves a drug, a doctor can prescribe it for anything. But the law specifically prohibits the drug company from promoting the drug for any unapproved uses.

Parke-Davis were then bought by Pfizer.

In 2004 it cost Pfizer $430 million to settle both criminal and civil liability related to the promotion of the drug for off-label use.

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