• Los Angeles Times, Thursday, September 3, 2009 10:39 AM

Pfizer has agreed to pay a record $2.3-billion settlement for illegal drug promotion, the Justice Department announced yesterday. It was accused of illegally marketing four drugs: Bextra, Geodon, Zyvox and Lyrica.

Josh Meyer reports that the settlement reflects an emphasis by the Obama administration on holding U.S. healthcare corporations accountable, particularly for "off label" marketing -- promoting drugs for uses that have not been approved by the FDA. But experts tell him that some companies will continue to risk prosecution because the fines and penalties pale in comparison with the extraordinary profits that can be made.

"We were actually putting patients in danger," says Pfizer employee John Kopchinski, who personally will get more than $51 million as one of six whistle-blowers who are slated to get payments under the False Claims Act.

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