Pharmaceutical Kickbacks

Right now the pharmaceutical industry is in the middle of its biggest challenge in history. Whistleblowers have exposed and continue to expose fraudulent practices ranging from pricing issues to sales and marketing practices at a rate never anticipated by either the pharmaceutical industry or the Department of Justice. Settlements and jury verdicts have been headline grabbing and large, attracting the attention of pharma, regulators, Congress and taxpayers. The qui tam pharmaceutical fraud cases settled since 2000 alone have amounted to over 3.5 billion dollars, representing various patterns of fraud. We expect to see some new patterns as time goes by, especially with the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. Pharmaceutical fraud is still abundant and this blog is intended to keep readers up to date with all pharmaceutical fraud related news and to provide commentary when warranted. This blog also contains an array of laws and regulations concerning the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act set out in an easy to read format.

Pharma Has Its Nose In Clinical Trials

by Nolan and Auerbach on December 5, 2006

A survey published in the New York Journal of Medicine found that more than a third of experts who oversee clinical trials at both medical schools and research hospitals have financial ties to pharmacutical and/or medical device companies. It was further found that some experts had a direct conflict of interest under federal rules; voting on or discussing clinical trials sponsored by companies they had relationships with or competitors of those very same companies. These experts may be part of review boards who are supposed to be insuring the scientific validity of clinical trials and safeguarding the safety of patient participants. Susan L. Rose, executive director of University of Southern California’s Office for the Protection of Research Subjects, said academic institutions had been reassessing their policies and discussing the need for mandatory disclosures.

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