Sunday, January 7, 2007

Four more indicted in counterfeit Lipitor case

The counterfeit Lipitor investigation from 2003 is apparently still red hot (that is a fake bottle on the right, courtesy of the FDA). An estimated 200,000 bottles were counterfeited.

From the Kansas City Star yesterday:

More defendants were indicted Friday on charges of selling fake Lipitor, bringing to 24 the number charged locally since 2003 for allegedly participating in a wide-ranging counterfeit-drug distribution scheme.

A second superseding indictment handed up by a federal grand jury named six individuals, amending previous indictments by adding four defendants.

The six were allegedly involved in buying and selling prescription drugs in the secondary wholesale market -- outfits that buy and sell drugs among themselves and sell drugs to hospitals, clinics, doctors and pharmacies.

The six are accused of selling counterfeit or illicitly imported Lipitor and other prescription drugs in the secondary market. Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering drug made by Pfizer Inc., is the best-selling prescription drug in the world.

Readers of this space know it is a subject I have covered, and will continue to cover. You can read more about the problems of fake drugs at this link back to my firm's website.

Labels: counterfeit drugs

posted by Eric Turkewitz
Permanent Link

The New York Personal Injury Law Blog is sponsored by its creator, Eric Turkewitz of The Turkewitz Law Firm. The blog might be considered a form of attorney advertising in accordance with New York rules going into effect February 1, 2007 (22 NYCRR 1200.1, et. seq.) As of July 14, 2008, Law.com became an advertiser, as you can see in the sidebar. Law.com does not control the editorial content of the blog in any way.

Throughout the blog as it develops, you may see examples of cases we have handled, or cases from others, that are used for illustrative purposes. Since all cases are different, and legal authority may change from year to year, it is important to remember that prior results in any particular case do not guarantee or predict similar outcomes with respect to any future matter, including yours, in which any lawyer or law firm may be retained.

Some of the commentary may be become outdated. Some might be a minority opinion, or simply wrong. No reader should consider this site (or any other) to be authoritative, and if a legal issue is presented, the reader should contact an attorney of his or her own choosing for advice.

Finally, we are not responsible for the comments of others that may be added to this site.