
A $67 Million Fine for False Claims on Erlotinib
The Department of Justice has announced that Genentech and OSI Pharmaceuticals “will pay $67 million to resolve False Claim Act allegations that they made misleading statements about the effectiveness of the drug Tarceva to treat non-small cell lung cancer.”
The Department of Justice has announced that Genentech and OSI Pharmaceuticals “will pay $67 million to resolve False Claim Act allegations that they made misleading statements about the effectiveness of the drug Tarceva to treat non-small cell lung cancer.” Tarceva, the product name for erlotinib. Both companies copromote erlotinib.
Erlotinib was
“Pharmaceutical companies have a responsibility to provide accurate information to patients and health care providers about their prescription drugs,” said principal deputy assistant attorney general Benjamin C. Mizer, who heads the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will hold those companies accountable that mislead the public about the efficacy of their products.”
The whistleblower case includes
The whistle blower in the case was a former product manager at Genentech, Brian Shields,
“This settlement demonstrates the government’s unwavering commitment to pursue violations of the False Claims Act and recover taxpayer dollars spent as a result of misleading marketing campaigns,” said US attorney Brian Stretch for the Northern District of California. The fine will be distributed between the federal government ($62.6 million), state Medicaid programs ($4.4 million), and Shields ($10 million).
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