HARTFORD – Pfizer reported strong 2024 profits Wednesday on the same day the Connecticut Attorney General’s office released a statement saying his office and 37 other states, including Puerto Rico, had settled kickback allegations against a Pfizer subsidiary in the sum of just over $59 million.
Tong’s office said Pfizer had agreed to pay the sum on behalf of New Haven-based Biohaven to resolve allegations that Biohaven had knowingly submitted or caused to be submitted false claims to the Medicaid program and other federal health care programs by paying kickbacks to health care providers in the form of cash, lavish meals and payments to induce them to prescribe Biohaven’s product Nurtec ODT (Nurtec), a prescription medication for the treatment of migraines.
The case against Biohaven was initiated by a former employee and whistleblower, Patricia Frattasio, who will receive a portion of the agreement.
As part of the settlement agreement, Connecticut will receive $64,233 in restitution as well as other recoveries.
“Biohaven paid illegal kickbacks in the form of lucrative speaker fees to unlawfully induce doctors to prescribe their drug,” Tong said in a statement. “I want to thank the whistleblower for bringing these serious allegations forward, and our state and federal partners for this strong action to protect our public healthcare dollars.”
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