Pfizer vandalized

According to RIA Novosti, the largest pharmaceutical manufacturer in the world, the American company Pfizer, will pay $ 2.3 billion in penalties for "fraudulent marketing" of its drugs. The statement of the US Department of Justice is posted on its official website.

"The American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its subsidiary Pharmacia & Upjohn have agreed to pay the largest compensation in the history of medicine in connection with fraud – $ 2.3 billion to settle criminal and civil liability in connection with the illegal promotion of a number of products," the press release says.

The pharmacological giant, known, in particular, for the production of "Viagra", is accused of misleading advertising of a number of drugs, including the painkiller Bextra, which was withdrawn from sale in 2005 under pressure from the regulator.

The investigation has facts that Pfizer not only attributed to a number of its drugs greater properties than those confirmed by the regulator, but also imposed on patients the drugs it produced through doctors who prescribed them to their clients, often without direct necessity.

We are talking about the drugs Bextra, the neuroleptic Geodon, the antibiotic Zyvox and the drug against epileptic seizures Lyrica.

The scandal against the pharmaceutical giant broke out after private lawsuits were filed in the states of Massachusetts, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, for which the plaintiffs will receive a government reward of $ 102 million.

Pfizer is the world's largest manufacturer of medical products with a total turnover of $ 48.3 billion and a net profit of over $ 8 billion by the end of 2008. The company invests billions of dollars annually in scientific research.