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Illinois Benefits from Settlement With Pfizer
Illinois will bring in $3 million from a multi-state, $60 million settlement with Pfizer Inc. over a couple of pain relievers.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan says a five-year investigation into the marketing and side-effects of Celebrex and Bextra led to the settlement. She says the marketing was aggressive and deceptive, especially since one of the drugs was touted for acute and surgical pain, but the FDA didn't approve it for that use. "It's really disconcerting because what was found during these studies is that Bextra actually can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes," Madigan said. "It's also known to cause a serious and sometimes fatal skin condition."

Madigan says that as part of the settlement, Pfizer will cease the following conduct in all subsequent drug promotion and marketing campaigns:

* The ghost writing of articles and studies by medical practitioners paid by Pfizer

* The failure to adequately disclose conflicts of interest for Pfizer promotional speakers when these consultants also speak at supposedly independent Continuing Medical Education sessions

* Distribution of samples to doctors with the intent to encourage off-label prescribing

* Distribution of information to doctors about an off-label use when the FDA has rejected the off-label use, unless Pfizer clearly discloses that (1) FDA rejected the use and (2) the FDA's reason for rejecting the use

* The distribution of off-label studies and articles in a promotional manner to doctors

* The provision of incentives to sales staff to increase off-label prescribing

* The promotion of off-label use of drugs for inclusion in hospital standing orders and protocols

* The use of "mentorships" to pay physicians for time spent with Pfizer sales reps

* The use of grants to encourage use of Pfizer products

* The use of sales personnel to make grant decisions that are supposedly unrelated to promotions and marketing

* The use of patient testimonials to misrepresent a drug's effectiveness.

The attorneys general of the following states also participated in Wednesday's settlement: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, District of Columbia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

(Source: Illinois Radio Network)
10 22 08 by Newsroom
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