Qui tam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Qui tam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "In September 2009, a former Pfizer Inc. sales representative, John Kopchinski, was awarded $51.5 million for his role as a whistleblower in the investigation of Pfizer's marketing practices of Bextra. Pfizer pled guilty to various civil and criminal charges and paid in total $2.3 billion to the government. The case netted the largest criminal fine ever imposed in the United States for any matter, $1.195 billion,[6] and the largest civil fraud settlement against any pharmaceutical company. [7] Qui tam 'relators' are not eligible to receive shares of criminal fines. The $102 million that was distributed between the six whistleblowers was calculated from the fines paid in the civil settlement. Kopchinski's allegations were the basis for the majority Pfizer's assessed civil fine, and explains the size of his share relative to the other whistleblowers.[8] Kopchinski and his attorneys filed the False Claims Act complaint in 2004 and alleged Pfizer systemically violated the federal Anti-Kickback statute, 42 U.S.C. � 1320a-7b(b) and the off-label marketing provision within the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act ('FDCA'), 21 U.S.C. ��301-97. [9] The qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act were triggered by the reimbursement for Bextra through Federal and State government programs, including but not limited to Medicare and Medicaid."