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A comment on Pfizer to Pay $2.3B for Largest Health Care Fraud Settlement in Its History.

Re:Pfizer to Pay $2.3B for Largest Health Care Fraud Settlem... by genericuser314 on Monday June 21, 2021 @05:28PM (#27584760)
Summary: "Once approved, the drug may not be marketed or promoted for so-called "off-label" uses – i.e., any use not specified in an application and approved by FDA. Pfizer promoted the sale of Bextra for several uses and dosages that the FDA specifically declined to approve due to safety concerns."

Bextra was approved: "for the treatment of osteoarthritis, adult rheumatoid arthritis, and primary dysmenorrhea." [0]

But was marketed for: "In such documents, PHARMACIA marketing team stated as the “intended” use and message for Bextra that Bextra was for “acute pain.”" [1]

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valdecoxib#Uses_until_2005

[1]: https://archive.is/20091207084948/http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/...

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Pfizer to Pay $2.3B for Largest Health Care Fraud Settlem... by mumblemumble on Monday June 21, 2021 @05:47PM (#27584942)
It's almost as if prescription drug marketing were inherently a severe conflict of interest that represents a danger to public health, and should therefore be much, much more tightly restricted.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Pfizer to Pay $2.3B for Largest Health Care Fraud Settlem... by austincheney on Monday June 21, 2021 @06:19PM (#27585284)
Prozac was created for use as an anti-psychotic but filed with the FDA for use as an anti-depressant. Because there are soooo many depressed people which means more money for the same drug. Wikipedia says it is the 23rd most prescribed drug in the US(wtf).
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Pfizer to Pay $2.3B for Largest Health Care Fraud Settlem... by mumblemumble on Monday June 21, 2021 @06:27PM (#27585347)
Do you have a source for that? I couldn't find any mention of that in the Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoxetine#History), and it seems, from the history I've tracked down, like SSRIs were specifically developed with an intent to treat mood disorders.

There does seem to be a combination drug that includes prozac and olanzapine that's used to treat psychotic disorders. It's been on the market for a while; maybe that's resulted in some confusion?

[ Parent | on HN ]