Pharma Fraud

Stiff Amgen Fine Shows No Slowing Down in Government Prosecution of Off-Label Marketing

By Gordon Schnell It was only two weeks ago that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals came down with its groundbreaking decision in U.S. v. Caronia.  In a 2-to-1 ruling by a three-judge panel, the appeals court overturned the conviction of a drug company sales representative for promoting a prescription drug for uses not approved by the FDA.  The majority reasoned that banning such off-label marketing violated the...

CVS Sub Caught Duping Consumers in Prescription Drug Purchases

By Marlene Koury In one of the first False Claims Act settlements involving Medicare's "Part D" prescription drug program, CVS Caremark subsidiary, RxAmerica, agreed to pony up $5.25 million to resolve charges that it submitted false pricing information to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).  This is the government body that oversees the Medicare and Medicaid programs.  It also makes available the...

The Fraud Behind the Fraud of Off-Label Drug Marketing

By Gordon Schnell It has been one of the most common means for drug companies to get around what can be the very rigorous and time-consuming process of securing FDA approval for selling drugs.  That is, taking drugs that the FDA has approved as safe and effective for one particular use and marketing them to the medical community and the public for an entirely different set of uses.  This so-called off-label...