1. Roche - Kickbacks to physicians
   
   In September 1994, Hoffman-La Roche agreed to pay $450,000 in settlement of allegations relating to payments of grants to physicians for research on an FDA-approved product. The US Department of Justice alleged that the work performed in some cases did not justify the amounts paid, and that some physician-investigators were paid regardless of whether they actually provided evidence of doing the work or not. (Source - Food and Drug Law Journal, vol 54, issue 3 - 1999).
   
   
2. Genentech - Protropin
   
   On 7 May 1999, Genentech (Roche subsidiary) pleaded guilty to introducing misbranded drugs and was ordered to pay a $30m criminal fine and a $20m civil penalty to settle allegations that it defrauded government health insurance programs by marketing Protropin for medical conditions for which the drug had not received FDA approval. (Source - Press Release - Office of Inspector General, Department of Defence 7 May 1999).
   
   
3. Genentech - Caremark Case
   
   In September 1994, Genentech's (Roche subsidiary) sales and marketing vice president, Caremark International and a local physician were charged with participating in a kick-back scheme. Caremark agreed to pay $161,000,000 in fines and penalties. The Genentech employee, and three Caremark employees were acquitted. The doctor accused of accepting kickbacks was found guilty. (Source - Food and Drug Law Journal, vol 54, issue 3 - 1999)
   
   
4. Alteplase - Report in British Medical Journal
   
   The British Medical Journal published an article in March 2002, which found that the drug company Genentech had contributed $11m to the American Heart Foundation (AHA) and that subsequently the AHA had strongly recommended Genentech's stroke drug, Alteplase, on the basis of evidence from one trial.
   
   
5. Posicor
   
   The FDA approved Posicor in June 1997. Six months later the FDA advised doctors of the drug's "life-threatening" danger. Roche agreed to a label change. The drug was withdrawn in June 1998. Records filed with the FDA show that doctors and others reported Posicor as a suspect in the deaths of 100 patients.
   
   
6. Larium
   
   A Roche sponsored report showed that of 145,000 travellers returning from Africa, the rate of "serious" side effects from taking Lariam was 1 in 10,000. But "serious" was defined as those effects leading to long-term hospitalisation or death. There have been occurrences of suicide, seizures, and psychosis.
   
   
7. Librium and Valium Cartel
   
   Roche was fined by antitrust officials in Europe for engaging in anticompetitive behaviour in the sale of two tranquilisers, Librium and Valium.
   
   During the period 1973 to 1984, Roche initiated a campaign which included 1,000 visits per week from medical representatives to doctors, letters to all GPs and consultant psychiatrists and over 10,000 copies of a book on Benzodiazepines by the ex Director of Clinical Research for Roche. The conclusions in this book were heavily criticised and the author recanted in 1983. The prescribers were not notified of this.
   

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