Criminal and civil penalties are nothing new to pharmaceutical companies due to their questionable practices -- especially   as it relates to off-label marketing. But will two mega-historical  qui tam settlements in 2009 change anything? Has the 'cost  of doing business' become too exorbitant?

Tonight live at 7:00 p.m. on WFMZ-TV 69, The American Law Journal addresses "Blowing the Whistle on Big Pharma -- Big Crimes, Big Fines." Attorney Host Christopher Naughton welcomes attorneys Stephen A. Sheller of Sheller P.C., Anita Hotchkiss of Goldberg Segalla and the Hon. Richard Klein of the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Joining the panel is whistleblower Allen Jones (pictured above right), former Investigator in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Office of the Inspector General.The panel discusses the nearly $4 billion dollars in settlements in the Lilly (Zyprexa) and Pfizer (Geodon, Lyrica, Bextra and Zyvox) matters this year.  

"What it says is money in their pocket is more important than public health," says Sheller whose firm participated in both settlements. "These kinds of cases depend on whistleblowers... people who couldn't stand by and let people get hurt or die. And the government [came] down hard. If it was [considered] the cost of doing business for Pfizer... it was probably more than they expected."

 

The panel will address select viewer calls from approximately 7:35-8:00 p.m., 800-426-4625.

The American Law Journal airs weekly on Mondays at 7PM on WFMZ-TV 69 seen throughout the tri-state region. New website under construction -- visit our page on Facebook, The American Law Journal.

 

Next week: "The Judge-the 'X' Factor in Family Law Matters."