Healthy Skepticism Library item: 7578

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: news

Philadelphia Business Journal
Endo cooperating on promotional practices probe
Philadelphia Business Journal 2007 Jan 17
http://www.drugs.com/news/endo-pharmaceuticals-receives-subpoena-u-s-department-health-human-services-5076.html

Full text:

Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. received a subpoena Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, requesting documents from 1999 to the present regarding the company’s sales and promotional practices relating to Lidoderm.

The product is an analgesic patch approved to treat pain associated with nerve damage caused by shingles. The subpoena requests documents generally related to the company’s knowledge of the use of Lidoderm for non-indicated uses by physicians.

Representatives of Endo, of Chadds Ford, Pa., said the company intends to cooperate with the request.

“Endo has been and will continue to be firmly committed to promoting Lidoderm and all of Endo’s marketed products responsibly and appropriately within their currently approved indications,” said Peter A. Lankau, the company’s president and CEO. “We have a strong ethics and compliance program. To that end, we routinely conduct extensive training for our employees to reinforce the importance of promotional practices that are within the FDA-approved indication.”

Drug companies are only permitted to market products for uses approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but doctors are permitted to — and do — prescribe prescription medicines for nonindicated uses

Endo Pharmaceuticals is a wholly owned subsidiary of Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc.(NASDAQ:ENDP – News), also of Chadds Ford.