Healthy Skepticism Library item: 17770

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Hopkins Tanne J
AstraZeneca pays $520m fine for off label marketing
BMJ 2010 Apr 29; 340:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/340/apr29_3/c2380

Abstract:

AstraZeneca agreed to pay a $520m (£340m; 391m) fine to settle allegations it had marketed the antipsychotic drug quetiapine fumarate (Seroquel) for unapproved off label uses, the US Department of Justice announced on 27 April.

The drug was a bestseller for AstraZeneca in 2009, with sales of $4.9bn. Eric Holder, the US attorney general, took the unusual step of announcing the settlement at a news conference. He said that illegal acts by drug companies and false claims for government health programmes “can put the public health at risk, corrupt medical decisions by health care providers, and take billions of dollars directly out of taxpayers’ pockets.”

The Justice Department said that by promoting off label uses, AstraZeneca caused “false claims for payment to be submitted to federal insurance programmes including Medicaid, Medicare,” and other government programmes.

The federal government will receive about $302 000 in the settlement and Medicaid programmes for . . .