Pfizer engaged in unethical practices to push prescriptions of its migraine medication, Nurtec ODT, also known as Rimegepant. (Credit: Nurtec)
(…) The scandal revolves around Biohaven Pharmaceutical, a company acquired by Pfizer in October 2022, which engaged in unethical practices to push prescriptions of its migraine medication, Nurtec ODT, also known as Rimegepant.
Whistleblower Patricia Frattasio, a former sales representative at Biohaven, played a crucial role in bringing these malpractices to light, leading to a qui tam lawsuit under the False Claims Act in 2021.
Allegations include that Biohaven paid some healthcare providers over $100,000 to boost prescriptions of their migraine medication, Nurtec ODT, resulting in fraudulent claims to federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
This egregious scheme involved not just ordinary incentives, but also repeated, unnecessary educational programs that offered no real benefit to attendees, turning these events into mere facades for bribery.
This practice, aimed at increasing Nurtec ODT prescriptions, breached anti-kickback statutes designed to keep medical decisions free from financial influence.
Under the terms of the settlement, Biohaven does not admit liability but has agreed to pay the United States and participating Medicaid states a total of $59,746,277.54.
This amount includes interest and restitution, addressing claims submitted to Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and the Veterans Health Administration from March 2020 through September 2022. (Read more: The Gateway Pundit, 1/26/2025) (Archive)