Pfizer Settles Kickback Charges for $59.7 Million

Pfizer has agreed to pay $59.7 million to resolve allegations that Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, a company it acquired, violated the False Claims Act by providing kickbacks to doctors who prescribed Nurtec ODT, a migraine drug.

Key Findings:

* Biohaven provided speaker fees and high-end meals to doctors from March 2020 to September 2022 to induce Nurtec prescriptions.
* Some doctors attended speaker programs multiple times, receiving no educational benefit.
* Pfizer ended the speaker programs after acquiring Biohaven in October 2022.

Settlement Details:

* Pfizer settled without admitting wrongdoing.
* The settlement includes $8.4 million to whistleblower Patricia Frattasio, $41.8 million to the federal government, and $9.5 million to state Medicaid programs.

Statement from Pfizer:

"We are pleased to put this legacy matter behind us, so that we can continue to focus on the needs of patients."

Statement from U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York:

"Patients deserve to know that their doctor's prescriptions are based on medical judgment, not financial incentives from pharmaceutical companies."

Additional Information:

* The lawsuit was filed in August 2021 by whistleblower Patricia Frattasio, a former Biohaven neuroscience sales specialist.
* The False Claims Act allows whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the government and share in recoveries.