In a rare move announced the Justice Department on Tuesday that it a top lawyer and former Vice President had elevated huge for the British GlaxoSmithKline with making false statements and impedes a federal investigation of illegal marketing of antidepressant wellbutrin for weight loss drug.
The indictment grabbed the attention of pharmaceutical executives for a long promised government crackdown on company officials was bracing have - rather than the company itself - in drug fraud resulted in billions of dollars in fines and payments.
"This is absolutely precedent - that is really lit people's hair," said Douglas B. Farquhar, a Washington lawyer, which recently at a Panel on law enforcement during a drug industry conference, chaired the Federal officials warned were focusing on individuals. "This is significant for the strategy to go f.d.a and justice after the very top ranking managing officials in the regulated company."
The indictment accuses Glaxo official, Lauren C. Stevens of Durham, n.c., the lie, the food and drug to deny that doctors speak had approved used by the Agency administration in 2003 by writing letters as associate general counsel, corporate events wellbutrin for promoted.Mrs Stevens "False declarations made and documents which recognized as incriminating withheld" the f.d.a tried including slides the indictment during his investigation mentioned.
Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the civil division, said in a statement, "where is enabling the facts and law, individuals responsible pursue the Ministry of Justice for illegal behavior only as strong as we track companies."
"Mrs Stevens a high powered legal defense team has put together.""She's not guilty font", said Reid H. vineyard one your attorneys, previously Bernard of j. Ebbers, former Chief Executive of WorldCom and Mark A. Belnick, former Tyco counsel represented."We are going to trial and looking forward to it, and we fully expect that to confirm."
Brien t. O'Connor, a lawyer with ropes and gray, said in a statement, "Lauren Stevens is a quite decent and honest woman.""Is not of disability or incorrect declarations schuldig.Alles what was in this case in accordance with ethical lawyering and the advice it provided by a prominent national law firm that specifically retained by your employer, because experience working with f.d.a"
Mrs Stevens, 60, not Tuesday could werden.Niemand contacted phone your home answered.
Is retired, according to Mary Anne Rhyne, a spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline.Frau Rhyne said the company it was complete with a federal investigation work allegations of illegal sales and marketing of Wellbutrin.Im 400 million US dollars, the case last year aside the still pending.
Two weeks before, where independent GlaxoSmithKline agreed to pay $750 million to the Government to civil and criminal complaints that tainted it sold or ineffective to pay a large production facility in Puerto Rico products.
The topic of drug legislation industry conference last month was more "more individuals."In a presentation, Eric M. Blumberg, Deputy chief counsel at the f.d.a warned: "If you are a corporate executive - or counsel advice such client - wait for the first case to decide now is the time to comply with the law."
"" Once you someone threatened with prison, people really start attention,"Frances H. Miller, a Boston University Law Professor and expert on health policy said.""This fits within this framework of sending messages very high profile very quickly."
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