Whistleblower Causes Public Alert to Tasigna Side Effects

Whistleblowers are encouraged to come forward when corporate activities put public health in danger

Monday, November 27, 2017 - Lawsuits against Swiss pharmaceutical maker Novartis alleging that their second-generation anti-cancer drug Tasigna causes heart disease may have been triggered when a Novartis employee blew the whistle on what he believed to be unethical and illegal marketing activities by Novartis. Knowing that their flagship cancer miracle drug Gleevec was going off patent in a short while the company sought to head off competition from cheaper generic brands by having oncology physicians and specialty pharmacies recommend existing patients refill their Gleevec prescriptions with Tasigna. Executives at Novartis turned a blind eye to the growing number of reports of atherosclerosis being linked with Tasigna and instead focused on saving Gleevec/Tasigna's billion-dollar annual US market share. New patients were prescribed Tasigna over Gleevec as well. Attention to the questionable Tasigna marketing scheme was brought to light when whistleblower David Kester, a Novartis sales manager, and the US Department of Justice sued Novartis for $3.35 billion, settling the case for $390 million. The case took just under four years to complete. The investigation into the Novartis marketing scheme found that overall, a total of 166,000 false claims were made to Medicare and Medicaid. Under the False Claims Act, plaintiffs are entitled to triple damages and a civil penalty of $5500 to $11000 for each false claim.

Whistleblowers in the pharmaceutical industry are encouraged to come forward because when doctors are bribed to prescribe one drug over another based solely on financial incentive the result can be medically unnecessary or unsuitable medication given to a patient. Not only did the scheme put patient's health in jeopardy it also defrauded health insurance companies. Medicaid and Medicare are aware of this and refusing to pay for such prescriptions. Under the False Claims Act, the federal government is required to pay whistleblowers a percentage of the settlement and it is reported that Kester earned at least 15% of the amount recovered by taxpayers. Mr. Kester continued to work at Novartis for 18 months after contacting the government until a formal complaint against Novartis was brought forward.

Novartis marketing representatives conducted sales contests and paid cash incentives to specialty pharmacies that refilled the greatest number of Gleevec prescriptions with Tasigna each month as well as the greatest overall Tasigna sellers were also rewarded. Targeting specialty pharmacies is particularly disturbing as they have been given the authority to distribute particular drugs that treat patients deemed to have life-threatening illnesses such as cancer. Anti-cancer chemotherapy drugs themselves can cause serious side effects and deaths. Failing to accurately fill a prescription can cause a patient to suffer greatly or even die. Thousands of cancer patients have been steered to take Tasigna over safer, less expensive generic alternatives without being given the warning that Tasigna causes atherosclerosis and peripheral artery disease. Currently, there are hundreds of Tasigna atherosclerosis lawsuits pending against Novartis in US courts seeking damages, reimbursement of medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering.

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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.