Pfizer settles off-label marketing claims involving Bextra

Philly.com reported yesterday that Pfizer, Inc. took a $2.3 billion dollar charge in order to pay a record settlement with the federal government over claims that it had improperly marketed the pain killer, Bextra.  The drug was recalled in 2005 over a rare skin condition.  In the interim, Pfizer apparently admitted to the government that it had reaped billions in profit by marketing the drug to doctors for use in a manner not approved by the FDA.   It is likely that Pfizer still showed a significant profit for its sales of Bextra, despite the fact that it was sanctioned heavily for what turned out to be an unsafe product.