Just in case you thought it was over...think again. Here is part of a nice article to read. Earlier in this article it said 200 pharma investigations are on-going and backlogged. Nef, John, Brad, and the crew are screwed!
Whistle-blowers typically get 15 percent to 30 percent of any recovered damages, an amount that can let them retire with millions in the bank.
Last year, a former Merck sales manager collected $68 million for helping expose an alleged drug-pricing scheme. And a microbiologist at Warner-Lambert was awarded $26.6 million for helping expose illegal marketing of an epilepsy drug for unapproved uses.
Of the top 20 False Claims Act cases, measured by the amount of money recovered, 12 involved judgments or settlements against pharmaceutical companies, accounting for billions of dollars in recoveries.
The issue is a touchy one for pharmaceutical companies. The cases are drawing big headlines just as the industry is talking about how it is becoming more ethical and transparent and trying to win public support during the health-care reform debate.
The last things the drug makers want to talk about are past legal problems.
"From our perspective, our matters are settled, and now it's just time to look forward," said Angela Sekston, a Lilly spokeswoman.
The industry's trade association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said the cases are often complex and take years to sort out. Often, a company knows very little about the allegations during that period, the group said.
"It's not completely unexpected that the cases would be filed in waves as the government wraps up a group of investigations," the association said in a statement. "And publicity in one case can spawn others."
One reason the pharmaceutical industry is in the cross-hairs is the way the law is being used now. Previously, it was used to fight profiteering and fraud against the government, such as defense contractors padding contracts.
But with the government picking up more of the nation's health-care costs - generally through the Medicaid and Medicare programs - the focus shifted to doctors, hospitals, drug makers, device makers and other industry players. And by dangling rich rewards, the government suddenly got lots of help from ordinary workers.
Whistle-blowers typically get 15 percent to 30 percent of any recovered damages, an amount that can let them retire with millions in the bank.
Last year, a former Merck sales manager collected $68 million for helping expose an alleged drug-pricing scheme. And a microbiologist at Warner-Lambert was awarded $26.6 million for helping expose illegal marketing of an epilepsy drug for unapproved uses.
Of the top 20 False Claims Act cases, measured by the amount of money recovered, 12 involved judgments or settlements against pharmaceutical companies, accounting for billions of dollars in recoveries.
The issue is a touchy one for pharmaceutical companies. The cases are drawing big headlines just as the industry is talking about how it is becoming more ethical and transparent and trying to win public support during the health-care reform debate.
The last things the drug makers want to talk about are past legal problems.
"From our perspective, our matters are settled, and now it's just time to look forward," said Angela Sekston, a Lilly spokeswoman.
The industry's trade association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said the cases are often complex and take years to sort out. Often, a company knows very little about the allegations during that period, the group said.
"It's not completely unexpected that the cases would be filed in waves as the government wraps up a group of investigations," the association said in a statement. "And publicity in one case can spawn others."
One reason the pharmaceutical industry is in the cross-hairs is the way the law is being used now. Previously, it was used to fight profiteering and fraud against the government, such as defense contractors padding contracts.
But with the government picking up more of the nation's health-care costs - generally through the Medicaid and Medicare programs - the focus shifted to doctors, hospitals, drug makers, device makers and other industry players. And by dangling rich rewards, the government suddenly got lots of help from ordinary workers.