Ohio will receive $306,000 of a $67 million settlement from a lawsuit over false claims that were made about the cancer drug Tarceva, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced last month. The lawsuit alleged that drug manufacturers misled doctors and healthcare providers about Tarceva’s effectiveness in treating non-small-cell lung cancer.
The lawsuit alleged that the creators of the drug, Genentech, Inc. and OSI Pharmaceuticals, LLC, promoted the drug as a treatment for anyone with non-small-cell lung cancer, including current or former smokers. However, studies have shown that Tarceva is not effective in treating cancer among current or former smokers, unless they have the epidermal growth factor gene.
The lawsuit also claimed that the makers of Tarceva gave out promotional materials that discouraged the testing of patients for epidermal growth factor.
It is alleged that Genentech and OSI illegally promoted Tarceva by paying doctors for making speeches or joining Genentech’s advisory boards. There was also another allegation that Genentech organized lunches and dinners for cancer patients where representatives were paid to speak about how Tarceva could be used in ways that had not been approved by regulators.
Brian Shields, a former Tarceva sales representative, filed the whistleblower lawsuit in 2011. Shields and his lawyers will receive about $10 million from the settlement.
If you or a loved one has suffered or died because of misleading claims about a drug that you were prescribed, contact the personal injury lawyers in Cincinnati at O’Connor Acciani & Levy. We will thoroughly investigate your claim to find out if you have been wronged. If you are entitled compensation, our experienced attorneys will work to get you every penny you deserve.