US Department of Justice Fines Novartis One Billion Dollars

Company whistleblower information reveals deceptive and illegal drug sales tactics by Novartis sales representatives

Wednesday, June 13, 2018 - Novartis AG, the maker of the anti-cancer drug Tasigna, profited billions of dollars by illegally incentivizing specialty pharmacists to refill Gleevec prescriptions with Tasigna. Gleevec was going off patent in the coming months and rather than lose their share of the multi-billion dollar market sales reps pulled no punches to make sure that did not happen. According to company whistleblower David Kester and the US Department of Justice, Novartis sales reps paid cash kickbacks, ran illegal sales contests and conducted phony pharmacist training programs to bribe pharmacists to secretly switch cancer patient refill prescriptions from Gleevec to Tasigna.

Novartis might have gotten away with their illegal incentive scheme had it not been for the fact that Tasigna patients started to complain about unforeseen side effects of taking the drug. Tasigna patients, use to the comforts of the safe and effective Gleevec, were now developing atherosclerosis, a hardening, and thickening of the arteries, a condition that leads to necrosis and amputation of the feet, strokes, and heart attacks. When company drug sales manager David Kestner found out that Tasigna patients were getting sick and dying and that Novartis executives and sales reps failed to warn the medical community of Tasigna's atherosclerosis risk, he went to the DOJ and filed a complaint. Under the US False Claims Act, a provision that encourages employees with insider information on dangerous products that could do harm to the general public to come forward, Kester sued Novartis. Kestner's charges resulted in an 18-month investigation and both Kestner's and government attorneys pursued the issue. Close to $400 million was recovered by the US and reimbursed to the US Medicaid program that Tasigna sales defrauded. In 2016 the non-profit group Taxpayers Against Public Fraud named David Kester whistleblower of the year for coming forward and putting the best interests of the public ahead of his own career and personal safety.

Incredibly, in the response of several hundred atherosclerosis complaints, Novartis had made a near-total admission of Tasigna's atherosclerosis risks to Canadian health officials with Health Canada. In 2013 Novartis PHarmaceutical Canada reported that "Cases of atherosclerosis-related conditions have been reported during clinical trials and post-marketing experience with the use of TASIGNA." and that patients should be screened for existing heart problems prior to receiving the medication. No such admission or warning made it to cancer physicians or medical personnel in the lucrative US cancer treatment market where pharmacists were encouraged to sell even more Tasigna. For Tasigna sales in the US it was business as usual and when the Tasigna atherosclerosis warning eventually did make it to the US market it was much too late for thousands that had already developed the disease.

If you are suffering from atherosclerosis or other life-threatening side effects of Tasigna, or if you have had a loved one die from a heart attack or stroke after taking Tasigna, you should talk to a Tasigna atherosclerosis lawyer to determine whether or not you qualify to file a claim and seek the monetary compensation you deserve.

More Recent Tasigna Atherosclerosis Lawsuit News:

• Tasigna Patients Are Warned of The Risk of Sudden Death | 5/13/2019
• Tasigna's Atherosclerosis Risk Is Well-Documented By Researchers For Peer-Reviewed Medical Publications | 5/8/2019
• Tasigna's Atherosclerosis Side Effect Is Not Forgotten | 4/17/2019
• Trying Tasigna As A Last Resort May Make Sense To Terminally Ill Cancer Patients | 4/12/2019
• Novartis Claim Tasigna Can Help Parkinson's Patients is Met With Skepticism | 4/4/2019
• Novartis Failed To Warn American Doctors Who In Turn Failed To Warn Patients of Tasigna's Atherosclerosis Risks | 3/20/2019
• Tasigna Is Being Repurposed To Treat Parkinson's Disease | 3/14/2019
• Some Patient Can Cease Taking Tasigna But They May Have Already Developed Atherosclerosis | 3/12/2019
• Health Experts Warn of Potentially Deadly Tasigna Drug Interactions | 3/5/2019
• The Potential To Someday Stop Tasigna Treatments Should Not Be An Incentive To Take The Drug | 2/28/2019
• Tasigna Studies Show The Drug Should Be Taken As A Last Resort | 2/24/2019
• Cancer Doctors and Medical Websites Should Take Tasigna's Atherosclerosis Risks More Seriously | 2/18/2019
• The FDA May Be Putting Children's Lives In Danger By Ignoring Tasigna's Atherosclerosis Risk | 2/12/2019
• The FDA May Have Overlooked Tasigna's Atherosclerosis Side Effect When Approving its Usage by Children | 2/5/2019
• Children With Cancer May Now Start Taking Tasigna | 1/31/2019
• Studies Reported by Leading Experts Focus on Tasigna Toxicity | 1/25/2019
• Novartis Has a History of Deceptive Sale Practices That Taints Their Credibility | 1/22/2019
• Novartis Changes Tasigna's Label But Not Its Toxicity | 1/16/2019
• Tasigna Doctors May Be Ignoring Atherosclerosis Risks | 1/11/2019
• Cancer Doctors Prescribing Tasigna Should Be Trained Like Heart Specialists | 1/8/2019
• Tasigna is Effective in Treating Chronic Myeloid Leukemia | 1/1/2019
• Early Warning Signs of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) | 12/5/2018
• CML Patients in Remission May Discontinue Taking Tasigna | 12/1/2018
• Tasigna's Atherosclerosis Warnings is Rarely Seen by Cancer Patients | 11/28/2018
• Novartis' Failure to Warn the FDA May Have Led to Atherosclerosis in As Many As One in Four Tasigna Patients | 11/12/2018
• Novartis Highlights Tasigna's Effectiveness yet Downplays The Drug's Deadly Side Effects | 11/8/2018
• Novartis Takes Advantage of Tasigna's Catch 22 | 10/30/2018
• Tasigna Atherosclerosis Ignored by Novartis Celebrity Spokesperson | 10/24/2018
• Oncologists May Be Ignoring the Cardiovascular Side Effects of Tasigna | 10/16/2018
• The FDA Atherosclerosis Warning Came Too Late for Tasigna Patients in the United States | 10/8/2018
• One-Third of Tasigna Patients Could Face Coronary Bypass Surgery | 10/4/2018
• Billion Dollar Fines Are Just a Cost of Doing Business For Novartis | 10/2/2018
• Cancer Patients Should View Novartis' New Tasigna Label With Scepticism | 9/28/2018
• Novartis Boasts of Tasigna's Effectiveness While Ignoring the Atherosclerosis Side Effects | 9/27/2018
• Tasigna May Be One Of The Most Deadly Drugs On The Market Today | 9/25/2018
• NBA Star's Arterial Blockage May Have Been Caused by Taking Tasigna | 9/22/2018
• Taxpayers Saved Billions By Novartis AG Whistleblower | 9/20/2018
• Tasigna Carries The Unacceptable Risk of Developing Atherosclerosis and Amputation | 9/19/2018
• Tasigna's Cancer-Fighting Success May Be Tempered By The Risk Of Sudden Death | 9/17/2018
• Novartis Pulled No Punches In Warning Canadians About The Atherosclerosis Related Side effects Of Tasigna Yet Said Nothing To Warn Cancer Patients In The United States. | 9/11/2018
• Novartis is a Repeat Offender for Fraudulent Drug Marketing | 8/29/2018
• Peripheral Artery Disease Plagues Tasigna Patients | 8/27/2018
• Patients Could Have Benefited From Gleevec's Generic Alternative | 8/21/2018
• Novartis/Tasigna Lawsuit May Seek Punitive Damages | 8/17/2018
• Tasigna Atherosclerosis Trial Set to Proceed | 8/14/2018
• Medical Websites Ignore Tasigna's Risks | 8/10/2018
• Novartis haste in rushing Tasigna to market has cost patients their lives | 8/8/2018
• Tasigna's Side Effects Require Special Attention From Prospective Patients | 8/6/2018
• Novartis Whistleblower Receives $12 Million For His Efforts | 7/31/2018
• Tasigna Atherosclerosis Hidden From Americans | 7/30/2018
• Gleevec Was a Cancer-Curing Miracle Drug | 7/26/2018
• Tasigna Stroke Victim's Trial to Proceed in Florida | 7/24/2018
• Novartis Employee Blows Whistle on Tasigna Fraud and Others | 7/20/2018
• Tasigna Side Effects Are Worse Than Cancer | 7/18/2018
• Tasigna Cancer Medication Carries More Risks Than Others | 7/11/2018
• Specialty Pharmacists Bribed to Prescribe Tasigna | 7/6/2018
• Novartis Billion-Dollar Fine for Fraudulent Marketing Tactics | 7/2/2018
• Tasigna Black Box Warning Addendum | 6/29/2018
• Tasigna Replaced Gleevec and Patients Suffered | 6/25/2018
• Specialty Pharmacists Selling Tasigna Compromised Ethical Standards | 6/20/2018
• Tasigna Sudden Death Warning | 6/11/2018
• Tasigna Cancer Treatment Poses Scary Risks | 6/7/2018
• Novartis Fraudulent Marketing Deception | 5/29/2018
• Tasigna Atherosclerosis Warning Never Made it to the US | 5/25/2018
• Novartis Tasigna Anti-Cancer Drug Has Side Effects That Include Sudden Death | 5/22/2018
• Tasigna Replaced Gleevec Under Fraudulent Circumstance | 5/18/2018
• Novartis Held Accountable For Concealing Tasigna Atherosclerosis Risk | 5/15/2018
• Tasigna Chemotherapy Carries a Sudden Death Warning | 5/10/2018
• Novartis Warns That Tasigna Can Cause Atherosclerosis | 5/6/2018
• Tasigna Poses Atherosclerosis Amputations Risk | 5/3/2018
• Tasigna Rushed to Market to Replace Gleevec | 12/29/2017
• Whistleblower Saves American Taxpayers Millions | 12/22/2017
• Gleevec-the Novartis AG Wonder Drug | 12/20/2017
• Tasigna Warnings | 12/18/2017
• Tasignas Black Box Warning Links The Drug To Atherosclerosis | 12/15/2017
• Novartis Fails To Warn The U.S. Medical Community About The Side Effects of Tasigna | 12/11/2017
• Tasigna Replaces Gleevec as the Novartis AGs Signature Anti-Cancer Chemotherapy Drug | 12/6/2017
• The Unmistakable Signs of Peripheral Artery Disease | 12/1/2017
• Whistleblower Causes Public Alert to Tasigna Side Effects | 11/27/2017
• The Estate of a California Man is Suing Novartis | 11/20/2017
• Ex-Novartis Salesmanager Blows The Whistle On Illegal Drug Marketing | 11/13/2017
• U.S. Cancer Patients Receive Tasigna Atherosclerosis Warning | 11/6/2017
• Novartis Marketed Tasigna to Replace Gleevec | 11/3/2017
• Leukemia Patients May Suffer From Heart Disease as Well | 10/30/2017
• Novartis' Potentially Misleading Drug Marketing Campaign | 10/23/2017
• Health Canada Issued a Tasigna Health Warning In 2013 | 10/16/2017
• Lawsuits Allege Novartis Was Aware of The Side Effects of Tasigna Yet Failed to Warn The American Public | 10/9/2017
• Tasigna Chemotherapy Atherosclerosis-related Side Effects | 10/2/2017
• The Onder Law Firm Seeks to Hold Novartis Accountable for the Suffering Tasigna Has Caused Families | 9/29/2017
• Novartis Fails to Warn About Tasigna Atherosclerosis | 9/22/2017
• Side Effects of Tasigna Cancer Drug Include Atherosclerosis and Peripheral Artery Disease | 9/15/2017
• Novartis Put Profits Ahead of Patients | 9/7/2017
• Novartis Failed to Warn the American Medical Community of the Side Effects of Tasigna | 9/1/2017
• Atherosclerosis Linked to Tasigna Anti Cancer Drug | 8/18/2017
• You Can Sue Novartis If You Have Developed Atherosclerosis-Related Conditions After Taking Tasigna | 8/11/2017
• Who Can Be Considered A Tasigna Victim | 8/4/2017
• Novartis AG makers of Tasigna Failed to Warn Public of the Dangerous Side Effects | 7/14/2017
• Tasigna Anti Cancer Drug Lawsuit | 7/7/2017
• Tasigna Drug Warning for Peripheral Arterial Disease | 6/30/2017
• Tasigna Cancer Treatment Drug Lawsuit | 6/26/2017
• Novartis International AG Lawsuits | 6/23/2017
• Lawsuits Against Novartis International AG Makers of Tasigna | 6/21/2017
• Tasigna Peripheral Artery Disease Warning | 6/19/2017
• Tasigna Lawsuits Against Drug Makers Novartis | 6/16/2017
• Atherosclerosis of the Aorta Linked to Tasigna Anti-Cancer Drug | 6/12/2017
• Makers of Tasigna Leukemia Drug Lawsuit | 6/9/2017
• Tasigna a Cancer Drug Treatment | 6/5/2017
• Tasigna Peripheral Arterial Disease | 6/1/2017

Lawyers for Tasigna Atherosclerosis Lawsuits

Attorneys handling Tasigna lawsuits for leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma offer free, no-obligation case review for individuals and families who believe they may have grounds to file a Tasigna lawsuit. Working on a contingency basis, these attorneys are committed to never charging legal fees unless they win compensation in your Tasigna lawsuit. The product liability litigators handling Roundup claims at the Onder Law Firm have a strong track record of success in representing families harmed by dangerous drugs and consumer products.