A Whistleblower For Wyeth
By Lori Clapper, Web Editor
On Tuesday, the Justice Department joined a whistle blower lawsuit that accuses Wyeth Pharmaceuticals of off-label promotion of the transplant drug Rapamune.
According to the Associated Press, Wyeth allegedly pushed doctors to add Rapamune to drug regimens for black patients, children, and other patients at high risk for organ rejection. In fact, an unsealed 2005 lawsuit claims Wyeth gave doctors cash and gifts in exchange for encouraging the use of the drug.
The suit also charges that Wyeth tried to boost sales at hospitals in New York and Philadelphia, despite the large population of black patients, who are considered high-risk because of their particular immune responses and dosage needs. This, in turn, had the potential to cause life-threatening side effects or even deaths in some patients.
Justice Department officials had no comment on the lawsuit, which is pending in federal court in Philadelphia.