Healthy Skepticism Library item: 8286

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

Endo receives subpoena on Lidoderm promotion
Medical Marketiing and Media 2007 Jan 23
http://www.mmm-online.com/content/index.php?id=28&tx_ttnews%5btt_news%5d=12251&tx_ttnews%5bbackPid%5d=11&cHash=f05a775c34

Full text:

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued Endo Pharmaceuticals a subpoena regarding the promotion of its post-shingles pain patch Lidoderm.

The subpoena requests documents from 1999 to the present related to the company’s knowledge of the use of Lidoderm for off-label uses for the treatment.

Although physicians are allowed to prescribe drugs for off-label uses, pharmaceutical companies are not permitted to market drugs for non-approved uses.

Endo said it would cooperate with the HHS’ request to provide the materials.

“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 CEO Peter Lankau. “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.”