Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Today's Pharmaceutical Criminal Investigation Is Tomorrow's Product Liability Lawsuit

By John Patrick Oroho, Howard J. Schwartz, and Elizabeth A. Brophy
October 06, 2004

In today's notoriously litigious atmosphere, a spark of governmental investigation can quickly ignite into product liability litigation. The events surrounding the recent $430 million Neurontin global agreement provide a notable example.

The Investigation

In 1996, former medical liaison for Warner-Lambert (the “company”), Dr. David Franklin, filed a qui tam action alleging that the company was marketing the drug Neurontin for uses not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). Dr. Franklin alleged that the company had knowingly engaged in conduct that caused violations of federal Medicaid statutes and regulations. He alleged that although the company knew that it was unlawful to promote a drug for off-label uses without first proving to the FDA that the drug was safe and effective for the intended use, the company chose to forego seeking FDA approval and engaged in a deceptive marketing scheme that included providing kickbacks to physicians for promoting and writing Neurontin prescriptions.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws Image

This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Removing Restrictive Covenants In New York Image

In Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?

Fresh Filings Image

Notable recent court filings in entertainment law.