U.S. Seeks Records of 80,000 Novartis `Sham' Events for Doctors
- Drugmaker says government has `exploded' scope of lawsuit
- Whistle-blower case claims company wined and dined doctors
Pharmacist Michael Frazzetta prepares a Novartis flu vaccine shot for demonstration purposes at a CVS store in New York, U.S., on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010. CVS Caremark Corp., the largest U.S. buyer and seller of prescription drugs, will begin offering flu vaccinations at all 7,000 stores in the U.S. beginning next week.
Photographer: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe U.S. is asking Novartis AG to provide records of about 80,000 “sham” events in which the government says doctors were wined and dined so they would prescribe the company’s cardiovascular drugs to their patients.
The Swiss drugmaker and the Manhattan U.S. Attorney are engaged in a whistle-blower lawsuit that alleges Novartis provided illegal kickbacks to health-care providers through bogus educational programs at high-end restaurants and sports bars where the drugs were barely discussed.