False Claims Act Update & Alert
	Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund | Washington, D.C. | WWW.TAF.ORG           June 17, 2011
	.
	.
		Subscribe to this FREE Newsletter Enter your Email Powered by FeedBlitz n TAF Home Page n Previous Newsletters n Email editor   Please take a moment to forward this FREE electronic newsletter to others that might be interested!	Novo Nordisk Settles for $26.7 Million Novo Nordisk has agreed to pay $26.7 million to settle a False Claims Act case alleging the company aggressively off-label marketed an expensive hemophilia drug ($2,000 to $10,000 per vial) to both military and civilian physicians for non-hemophilia purposes, even though the drug was associated with higher rates of stroke and heart attack. The complaint also said Novo Nordisk funneled prescription inducements to doctors and hospitals through nonprofit foundations in order to couch indirect payments as educational grants. >> To read more
			Billion Dollar Cases Under Investigation? Whistleblowers, the U.S. Dep. of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Obama Administration, and nearly 50 bankrupt states are coming together to change the dynamics in the war on fraud. More than a dozen cases with prospects for billion dollar collections are now in the wings. Among them: 4Johnson & Johnson (Risperdal) 4Deutsche Bank (mortgage fraud) 4Pfizer (Protonix) 4Abbott Labs (Depakote) 4Ranbaxy (HIV drugs) 4Five big U.S. banks (mortgage fraud) 4Public Warehouse (Kuwait food fraud) 4State Street and Mellon Bank New York (foreign currency fraud) 4Quest Diagnostics and six other companies brought by the same relator (lab fraud) 4Merck/Schering-Plough (Vytorin) >> To read more
			Solvay's Off-label Testosterone Therapy A False Claims Act complaint alleges Solvay wanted to boost the sale of AndroGel with a simple but aggressive strategy:  Get doctors to screen every patient asking for the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra for "low T?", i.e. low testosterone. The problem? AndroGel isn't approved for erectile dysfunction; it's approved for hypogonadism. >> To read more
			DoJ Intervenes in Stent Case The U.S. Department of Justice says it intends to intervene in a Tennessee False Claims Act case that alleges cardiologist Eli Hage Korban, MD, engaged in fraudulent billing and overuse of medical services. >> To read more
			The View from Australia Apparently Australia has massive frauds, but very few whistleblowers stepping forward. Why? Simple enough: no whistleblower awards. In Australia, whistleblowers are guaranteed intimidation, loss of livelihood, loss of friends, and lots and lots of stress. But no money. How to change the dynamic?  Some Australians are say they know:  embrace a law similar to the U.S. False Claims Act. >> To read more
			Gilead Gets a Subpoena Gilead, the leading maker of HIV and AIDS drugs, has received a subpoena for documents related to the manufacture and distribution of HIV drugs Atripla, Emtriva, Truvada and Viread. They have also been asked about an experimental fixed-dose combo drug of Truvada and Edurant, as well as hepatitis drug Hepsera, and pulmonary hypertension drug Leitairis. >> To read more
			.