PA shrink splits $45M with AstraZeneca whistleblower

Harrisburg psychiatrist Stefan Kruzewski and California drug salesman James Wetta are "splitting a $45 million award after AstraZeneca Plc settled claims of illegally marketing a schizophrenia drug," reports Bloomberg here.

"Wetta, a former company sales representative, sued in 2004 claiming AstraZeneca marketed Seroquel to children, prisoners and the elderly for uses not approved by regulators... Kruszewski, a psychiatrist, sued two years later, saying the company misrepresented Seroquel’s risks and benefits." UK-based AstraZeneca's US headquarters is in Fairfax, Del.

"The U.S. Justice Department joined their cases and settled April 27 with the company for $520 million under the False Claims Act. The men received payments after years of waiting. Each previously won awards in such litigation...

"The False Claims Act lets private citizens sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. Whistleblowers were paid $2.39 billion from 1987 to 2009, or 16 percent of the $15.19 billion collected in False Claims lawsuits where the U.S. government joined the case, according to the Justice Department."

 

via philly.com

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