Pfizer Forced To Pay $2.3 Billion In Criminal and Civil Penalties

Pfizer has shown questionable ethics in the past decade regarding its pharmaceuticals. Four times since 2002, the company has settled with the government charges that it has utilized illegal marketing activities. The federal government cited these repetitive violations as a reason for the steepness of the latest penalty. In September of 2009, Pfizer paid $2.3 billion to settle civil and criminal charges brought by the government for its illegal marketing of Bextra, a painkiller, along with civil penalties for the marketing of other medicines.

A former Pfizer sales representative’s complaint was one of the factors in bringing the charges against the company. John Kopchinski alleged that company managers urged him to dismiss concerns regarding the company’s marketing of Bextra, which seemed to violate the same laws for which Pfizer was fined $430 million in 2004 for illegal marketing of Neurontin, an anticonvulsant. Mr. Kopchinski asserted after the government’s settlement with Pfizer that the culture at Pfizer is “driven by sales” and that if you didn’t skirt the law you were “not seen as a team player.”

Of the $2.3 billion settlement, $1.3 billion was related to the criminal charges regarding the illegal marketing of Bextra. The other $1 billion was in civil fines related to the marketing of other medicines. At the time of the settlement, it was both the largest health care fraud settlement and the largest criminal fine of any kind in history. However, $2.3 billion is just approximately three weeks’ worth of revenues for the pharmaceutical giant.

Was this fine enough to make Pfizer change its ways? History would suggest otherwise. Despite the fact that the company and its subsidiaries have been required to sign multiple “corporate integrity” agreements over the last decade and been subjected to multiple substantial fines, the bottom line seems to be what drives the company’s decisions. While these fines may seem substantial, Pfizer’s actions would indicate that they do not offset the increased revenue from illegal marketing practices.

The alleged problems with Zoloft may be considered even more egregious than the illegal marketing practices employed by Pfizer. There is evidence that Zoloft is connected to an increase in suicidal thoughts and birth defects in children born to women taking the drug during pregnancy. If you have suffered from either of these Zoloft side effects, click here for a free consultation with an attorney to see if you qualify for a zoloft birth defects lawsuit. It is your first step to getting the compensation you deserve from Pfizer.