Gumby
05-10-2006, 04:36 PM
http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/30162
Beginning in 1997, Pharmacia, currently a subsidiary of Pfizer, sought to boost its sales of the drug Genotropin. To that end, the company illegally marketed the drug to spur growth in short children and as an anti-aging drug for adults looking for the fountain of youth.
In a nutshell, the off-label marketing scheme included: (1) direct payments to doctors; (2) all-expense paid junkets for doctors; (3) financial incentives to distributors: and (4) phony consultant contracts to funnel payments for the off-label promotion.
As a result of the scheme's success, sales of the Genotropin sky-rocketed and over the years, Medicaid and other public healthcare programs paid millions of dollars for its improper use. The full amount of damage to health care programs is not yet known.
"But this much is certain," former Pfizer Vice President turned whistleblower, Dr Peter Rost, says, "Pharmacia turned Genotropin into a cash cow by illegally peddling a dangerous drug to make short kids tall and their grandparents young."
Beginning in 1997, Pharmacia, currently a subsidiary of Pfizer, sought to boost its sales of the drug Genotropin. To that end, the company illegally marketed the drug to spur growth in short children and as an anti-aging drug for adults looking for the fountain of youth.
In a nutshell, the off-label marketing scheme included: (1) direct payments to doctors; (2) all-expense paid junkets for doctors; (3) financial incentives to distributors: and (4) phony consultant contracts to funnel payments for the off-label promotion.
As a result of the scheme's success, sales of the Genotropin sky-rocketed and over the years, Medicaid and other public healthcare programs paid millions of dollars for its improper use. The full amount of damage to health care programs is not yet known.
"But this much is certain," former Pfizer Vice President turned whistleblower, Dr Peter Rost, says, "Pharmacia turned Genotropin into a cash cow by illegally peddling a dangerous drug to make short kids tall and their grandparents young."