Editing Pfizer (section)

==Legal issues==
===Aggressive pharmaceutical marketing===
{{See also|List of largest pharmaceutical settlements|Franklin v. Parke-Davis}}
Pfizer has been accused of aggressive [[pharmaceutical marketing]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/health/features/3122/ |title=Inside the Happiness Business |last=Kirkpatrick |first=David D. |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=May 15, 2000}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Oldani |first=Michael |date=2002 |title=Tales from the Script |url=https://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/anthpubs/ucb/text/kas087-006.pdf |journal=Kroeber Society Papers |volume=87 |pages=147–176 |via=University of California Berkeley}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Oldani |first=Michael J. |date=2004 |title=Thick Prescriptions: Toward an Interpretation of Pharmaceutical Sales Practices |journal=Medical Anthropology Quarterly |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=325–356 |doi=10.1525/maq.2004.18.3.325 |issn=1548-1387 |pmid=15484967}}</ref>

====2004 Illegal marketing of gabapentin for off-label uses settlement====
In 1993, the [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) approved [[gabapentin]] only for treatment of [[seizures]]. [[Warner–Lambert]], which merged with Pfizer in 2000, used [[continuing medical education]] and [[medical research]], sponsored articles about the drug for the medical literature, and alleged suppression of unfavorable study results, to promote gabapentin. Within five years, the drug was being widely used for [[off-label use]]s such as treatment of pain and psychiatric conditions. Warner–Lambert admitted to violating FDA regulations by promoting the drug for pain, psychiatric conditions, migraine, and other unapproved uses.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Steinman MA, Bero LA, Chren MM, Landefeld CS |date=August 2006 |title=Narrative review: the promotion of gabapentin: an analysis of internal industry documents |journal=[[Annals of Internal Medicine]] |volume=145 |issue=4 |pages=284–93 |doi=10.7326/0003-4819-145-4-200608150-00008 |pmid=16908919 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2004, the company paid $430{{nbsp}}million in one of the largest settlements to resolve criminal and civil health care liability charges. It was the first off-label promotion case successfully brought under the [[False Claims Act]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Henney JE |date=August 2006 |title=Safeguarding patient welfare: who's in charge? |journal=[[Annals of Internal Medicine]] |volume=145 |issue=4 |pages=305–7 |doi=10.7326/0003-4819-145-4-200608150-00013 |pmid=16908923 |s2cid=39262014}}</ref> A Cochrane review concluded that gabapentin is ineffective in migraine prophylaxis.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Mulleners WM, McCrory DC, Linde M |date=August 2014 |title=Antiepileptics in migraine prophylaxis: An updated Cochrane review |journal=Cephalalgia |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=51–62 |doi=10.1177/0333102414534325 |pmid=25115844 |s2cid=43079346|doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[American Academy of Neurology]] rates it as having unproven efficacy, while the [[Canadian Headache Society]] and the [[European Federation of Neurological Societies]] rate its use as being supported by moderate and low-quality evidence.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Loder E, Burch R, Rizzoli P |date=June 2012 |title=The 2012 AHS/AAN guidelines for prevention of episodic migraine: a summary and comparison with other recent clinical practice guidelines |journal=Headache |volume=52 |issue=6 |pages=930–45 |doi=10.1111/j.1526-4610.2012.02185.x |pmid=22671714 |doi-access=free |s2cid=540800}}</ref>

====2009 Illegal marketing of Bextra settlement====
In September 2009, Pfizer pleaded guilty to the illegal marketing of [[arthritis]] drug [[valdecoxib]] (Bextra) and agreed to a $2.3{{nbsp}}billion settlement, the largest [[health care fraud]] settlement at that time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Justice Department Announces Largest Health Care Fraud Settlement in Its History |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-largest-health-care-fraud-settlement-its-history |publisher=[[United States Department of Justice]] |access-date=2022-05-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512181155/https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-largest-health-care-fraud-settlement-its-history |archive-date=May 12, 2022 |date=2009-09-09 |quote=American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. and its subsidiary Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc. (hereinafter together "Pfizer") have agreed to pay $2.3 billion, the largest health care fraud settlement in the history of the Department of Justice, to resolve criminal and civil liability arising from the illegal promotion of certain pharmaceutical products, the Justice Department announced today.}}</ref> Pfizer promoted the sale of the drug for several uses and dosages that the [[Food and Drug Administration]] specifically declined to approve due to safety concerns. The drug was pulled from the market in 2005.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/business/03health.html |title=Pfizer pays $2.3 billion to settle marketing case |first=Gardiner |last=Harris |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 2, 2009 |url-access=limited}}</ref> It was Pfizer's fourth such settlement in a decade.<ref name=Settle/><ref name=Improper>{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Carrie |date=September 3, 2009 |title=In Settlement, A Warning To Drugmakers: Pfizer to Pay Record Penalty In Improper-Marketing Case |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/02/AR2009090201449_pf.html}}</ref><ref name=fine/> The payment included $1.195{{nbsp}}billion in criminal penalties for felony violations of the [[Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act]], and $1.0{{nbsp}}billion to settle allegations it had illegally promoted the drugs for uses that were not approved by the [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) leading to violations under the [[False Claims Act]] as reimbursements were requested from Federal and State programs. The criminal fine was the largest ever assessed in the United States to date.<ref name=Settle>{{Cite news |last=Harris |first=Gardiner |title=Pfizer Pays $2.3 billion to Settle Marketing Case |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/business/03health.html |date=September 3, 2009}}</ref><ref name=Improper/><ref name=fine>{{Cite news |title=Pfizer agrees record fraud fine |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8234533.stm |date=September 2, 2009}}</ref> Pfizer entered a [[corporate integrity agreement]] with the [[Office of Inspector General (United States)|Office of Inspector General]] that required it to make substantial structural reforms within the company, and publish to its website its post approval commitments and a searchable database of all payments to physicians made by the company.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Corporate Integrity Agreement between the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services and Pfizer Inc. |url=https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/cia/agreements/pfizer_inc.pdf |website=[[Office of Inspector General (United States)|Office of Inspector General]] |date=August 31, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715112330/http://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/cia/agreements/pfizer_inc.pdf |archive-date=July 15, 2011}}</ref>

====Termination of Peter Rost====
[[Peter Rost (doctor)|Peter Rost]] was vice president in charge of the [[endocrinology]] division at [[Pharmacia]] before its acquisition by Pfizer. During that time he raised concerns internally about [[kickback (bribery)|kickbacks]] and off-label marketing of Genotropin, Pharmacia's [[human growth hormone]] drug. Pfizer reported the Pharmacia marketing practices to the FDA and Department of Justice; Rost was unaware of this and filed an FCA lawsuit against Pfizer. Pfizer kept him employed, but isolated him until the FCA suit was unsealed in 2005. The Justice Department declined to intervene, and Pfizer fired him, and he filed a wrongful termination suit against Pfizer. Pfizer won a summary dismissal of the case, with the court ruling that the evidence showed Pfizer had decided to fire Rost prior to learning of his whistleblower activities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ROST v. PFIZER, INC. |publisher=Casetext |url=https://casetext.com/case/rost-v-pfizer-2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/08/business/at-pfizer-the-isolation-increases-for-a-whistleblower.html |title=At Pfizer, the Isolation Increases for a Whistle-Blower |first=Alex |last=Berenson |authorlink=Alex Berenson |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 8, 2005 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

====2014 Illegal marketing of Rapamune settlement====
A "whistleblower suit" was filed in 2005 against [[Wyeth]], which was acquired by Pfizer in 2009, alleging that the company illegally marketed [[sirolimus]] (Rapamune) for [[off-label use]]s, targeted specific doctors and medical facilities to increase sales of Rapamune, tried to get transplant patients to change from their transplant drugs to Rapamune, and specifically targeted [[African-Americans]]. According to the whistleblowers, Wyeth also provided doctors and hospitals that prescribed the drug with kickbacks such as grants, donations, and other money.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/congress-joins-probe-into-wyeth-s-rapamune-marketing |title=Congress joins probe into Wyeth's Rapamune marketing |first=Tracy |last=Staton |magazine=Fierce Pharma |date=June 14, 2010}}</ref> In 2013, the company pleaded guilty to criminal mis-branding violations under the [[Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act]]. By August 2014, it had paid $491{{nbsp}}million in civil and criminal penalties related to Rapamune.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.fiercepharma.com/regulatory/pfizer-settles-more-off-label-marketing-cases-tied-to-rapamune |title=Pfizer settles more off-label marketing cases tied to Rapamune |first=Eric |last=Palmer |magazine=Fierce Pharma |date=June 14, 2010}}</ref>

====2014 Illegal marketing settlement====
In June 2010, health insurance network [[Blue Cross Blue Shield]] (BCBS) filed a lawsuit against Pfizer for allegedly illegally marketing drugs Bextra, Geodon and Lyrica. BCBS alleged that Pfizer used kickbacks and wrongly persuaded doctors to prescribe the drugs.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Blue Cross Names and Shames Pfizer Execs Linked to Massages-for-Prescriptions Push |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/blue-cross-names-and-shames-pfizer-execs-linked-to-massages-for-prescriptions-push/ |first=Jim |last=Edwards |work=[[CBS News]] |date=June 10, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2010/06/07/daily52.html |title=Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas sues Pfizer |last=Bounds |first=Jeff |work=[[American City Business Journals]] |date=June 10, 2010}}</ref> According to the lawsuit, Pfizer handed out 'misleading' materials on [[off-label use]]s, sent over 5,000 doctors on trips to the [[Caribbean]] or around the United States, and paid them $2,000 honoraria in return for listening to lectures about Bextra.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/bcbs-names-pfizer-managers-kickback-suit |title=BCBS names Pfizer managers in kickback suit |magazine=Fierce Pharma |first=Tracy |last=Staton |date=June 11, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/business/2010/06/11/blue-cross-blue-shield-of-texas-sues-pfizer-over-drug-marketing/ |title=Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas sues Pfizer over drug marketing |work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |date=June 11, 2010 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Despite Pfizer's claims that "the company's intent was pure" in fostering a legal exchange of information among doctors, an internal marketing plan revealed that Pfizer intended to train physicians "to serve as public relations spokespeople."<ref name=toobig/> The case was settled in 2014 for $325{{nbsp}}million.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Pfizer Agrees to $325 Million Neurontin Marketing Accord |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-02/pfizer-agrees-to-325-million-settlment-over-neurontin.html |first=Christie |last=Smythe |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=June 2, 2014 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Fearing that Pfizer is "[[too big to fail]]" and that prosecuting the company would result in disruptions to [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] and [[Medicaid]], federal prosecutors instead charged a subsidiary of a subsidiary of a subsidiary of Pfizer, which is "nothing more than a shell company whose only function is to plead guilty."<ref name=toobig>{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/02/pfizer.bextra/index.html |title=Feds found Pfizer too big to nail |last1=Griffin |first1=Drew |last2=Segal |first2=Andy |work=[[CNN]] |date=April 2, 2010}}</ref>

===2013 Quigley Company asbestos settlement===
The Quigley Company, which sold [[asbestos]]-containing insulation products until the early 1970s, was acquired by Pfizer in 1968. In June 2013, asbestos victims and Pfizer negotiated a settlement that required Pfizer to pay a total of $964{{nbsp}}million: $430{{nbsp}}million to 80% of existing plaintiffs and place an additional $535{{nbsp}}million into a settlement trust that will compensate future plaintiffs as well as the remaining 20% of plaintiffs with claims against Pfizer and Quigley. Of that $535{{nbsp}}million, $405{{nbsp}}million is in a 40-year note from Pfizer, while $100{{nbsp}}million is from insurance policies.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theday.com/article/20130627/BIZ03/306279581 |title=Pfizer to pay $958M to end asbestos litigation |first=Tiffany |last=Kary |agency=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=June 27, 2013}}</ref>

===1994 Shiley defective heart valves settlement===
Pfizer purchased Shiley in 1979, at the onset of its Convexo-Concave valve ordeal, involving the [[Bjork–Shiley valve]]. Approximately 500 people died when defective [[heart valve]]s fractured and, in 1994, Pfizer agreed to pay $10.75{{nbsp}}million to settle claims by the [[United States Department of Justice]] that the company lied to get approval for the valves.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/02/business/pfizer-unit-to-settle-charges-of-lying-about-heart-valve.html |title=Pfizer Unit to Settle Charges Of Lying About Heart Valve |first=Barry |last=Meier |work=The New York Times |authorlink=Barry Meier |date=July 2, 1994 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

===2010 Firing of employee that filed suit===
A federal lawsuit was filed by a scientist claiming she got an infection by a genetically modified [[lentivirus]] while working for Pfizer, resulting in intermittent [[paralysis]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ex-Pfizer Worker Cites Genetically Engineered Virus In Lawsuit Over Firing |url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-2010-03-14-hc-pfizer-virus-lawsuit-0314-artmar14-story.html |work=[[Hartford Courant]] |date=March 14, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728144301/http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-pfizer-virus-lawsuit-0314.artmar14,0,5614508,print.story |archive-date=July 28, 2012}}</ref> A judge dismissed the case citing a lack of evidence that the illness was caused by the virus but the jury ruled that by firing the employee, Pfizer violated laws protecting [[freedom of speech]] and [[whistleblower]]s and awarded her $1.37{{nbsp}}million.<ref>{{Cite news |title=A Pfizer Whistle-Blower Is Awarded $1.4 Million |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/business/03pfizer.html |first1=Andrew |last1=Pollack |first2=Duff |last2=Wilson |authorlink2=Duff Wilson |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 2, 2010 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

===2012 Celebrex intellectual property settlement===
[[Brigham Young University]] (BYU) said a professor of chemistry, Dr. [[Daniel L. Simmons]], discovered an enzyme in the 1990s that led towards development of [[Celebrex]]. BYU was originally seeking a 15% royalty on sales, equating to $9.7{{nbsp}}billion. A research agreement had been made between BYU and [[Monsanto]], whose pharmaceutical business was later acquired by Pfizer, to develop a better [[aspirin]]. The enzyme Dr. Simmons claims to have discovered would induce pain and inflammation while causing gastrointestinal problems and Celebrex is used to reduce those issues. A six-year battle ensued because BYU claimed that Pfizer did not give Dr. Simmons credit or compensation, while Pfizer claimed that it had met all obligations regarding the Monsanto agreement. In May 2012, Pfizer settled the allegations, agreeing to pay $450{{nbsp}}million.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/02/health/pfizer-settles-byu-lawsuit-over-development-of-celebrex.html |title=Pfizer Settles B.Y.U. Lawsuit Over Development of Celebrex |agency=[[Associated Press]] |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 1, 2012 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

===2011 Nigeria Trovafloxacin lawsuit settlement===
{{main|Abdullahi v. Pfizer, Inc.}}
In 1996, an outbreak of measles, cholera, and bacterial meningitis occurred in Nigeria. Pfizer representatives and personnel from a contract research organization (CRO) traveled to [[Kano (city)|Kano]] to set up a clinical trial and administer an experimental [[antibiotic]], [[trovafloxacin]], to approximately 200 children.<ref>{{Citation |last=Oldani |first=Michael |title=The SAGE Encyclopedia of Pharmacology and Society |date=2016 |pages=1444–1447 |chapter=Trovafloxacin (Trovan) Controversy |chapter-url=http://sk.sagepub.com/reference/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-pharmacology-and-society/i11727.xml |publisher=SAGE Publications Inc. |doi=10.4135/9781483349985.n409 |isbn=9781483350004 |access-date=2019-01-21}}</ref> Tests in animals showed that Trovan had life-threatening side effects, including joint disease, abnormal cartilage growth, liver damage, and a degenerative bone condition. Pfizer’s representatives did not alert the parents or patients about the serious risks involved, or tell them about an effective conventional treatment that Doctors without Borders was providing at the same site.<ref>{{cite web |title=Abdullahi v. Pfizer, Inc.- clinical trial |url=https://www.academia.edu/39569927 |access-date=30 January 2025 |website=academia.edu|date=January 2019 }}</ref> Local Kano officials reported that more than fifty children died in the experiment, while many others developed mental and physical deformities such as blindness, deafness, paralysis, and brain damage.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6768799.stm |last=Murray |first=Senan |title=Anger at deadly Nigerian drug trials |work=[[BBC News]] |date=June 20, 2007}}</ref> The nature and frequency of both fatalities and other adverse outcomes were similar to those historically found among pediatric patients treated for meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Ramakrishnan M, Ulland AJ, Steinhardt LC, Moïsi JC, Were F, Levine OS |year=2009 |title=Sequelae due to bacterial meningitis among African children: a systematic literature review |journal=[[BMC Medicine]] |volume=7 |page=47 |doi=10.1186/1741-7015-7-47 |pmc=2759956 |pmid=19751516 |doi-access=free }}</ref> In 2001, families of the children, as well as the governments of Kano and Nigeria, filed lawsuits regarding the treatment.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1517171.stm |title=Nigerians sue Pfizer over test deaths |work=[[BBC News]] |date=August 30, 2001}}</ref> According to ''[[Democracy Now!]]'', "[r]esearchers did not obtain signed consent forms, and medical personnel said Pfizer did not tell parents their children were getting the experimental drug."<ref name="DN">{{Cite news |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2010/12/17/wikileaks_cables_pfizer_targeted_nigerian_attorney |title=WikiLeaks Cables: Pfizer Targeted Nigerian Attorney General to Undermine Suit over Fatal Drug Tests |work=[[Democracy Now!]] |date=December 17, 2010}}</ref> The lawsuits also accused Pfizer of using the outbreak to perform unapproved human testing, as well as allegedly under-dosing a control group being treated with traditional antibiotics in order to skew the results of the trial in favor of Trovan. Nigerian medical personnel as well as at least one Pfizer physician said the trial was conducted without regulatory approval.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/06/AR2006050601338.html |title=Panel Faults Pfizer in '96 Clinical Trial In Nigeria |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 7, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pfizer-bribed-nigerian-officials-in-fatal-drug-trial-ex-employee-claims/ |title=Pfizer Bribed Nigerian Officials in Fatal Drug Trial, Ex-Employee Claims |first=Jim |last=Edwards |work=[[CBS News]] |date=February 10, 2011}}</ref>

In 2007, Pfizer published a Statement of Defense letter, stating that the drug's oral form was safer and easier to administer. Trovan had been used safely in more than five thousand Americans prior to the Nigerian trial, and mortality in the patients treated by Pfizer was lower than that observed historically in African meningitis epidemics. No unusual side effects, unrelated to meningitis, were observed after four weeks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 2007 |title=Trovan, Kano State Civil Case – Statement Of Defense |url=https://cdn.pfizer.com/pfizercom/news/trovan_statement_defense_summary.pdf |publisher=Pfizer}}</ref>

In June 2010, the US Supreme Court rejected Pfizer's appeal against a ruling allowing lawsuits by the Nigerian families to proceed.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10454982.stm |title=Pfizer-Nigeria appeal dismissed |work=[[BBC News]] |date=June 29, 2010}}</ref>

In December 2010, the [[United States diplomatic cables leak]] indicated that Pfizer hired investigators to find evidence of corruption against Nigerian attorney general [[Michael Aondoakaa]] to persuade him to drop legal action.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Boseley |first=Sarah |date=December 9, 2010 |title=WikiLeaks cables: Pfizer 'used dirty tricks to avoid clinical trial payout' |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/dec/09/wikileaks-cables-pfizer-nigeria}}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reporter Joe Stephens, who helped break the story in 2000, called these actions "dangerously close to blackmail".<ref name=DN/> In response, the company released a press statement describing the allegations as "preposterous" and saying that it acted in good faith.<ref>{{Cite press release |url=https://cdn.pfizer.com/pfizercom/news/the_guardian_nigeria_120910.pdf |title=Pfizer Statement Regarding Article In The Guardian |publisher=Pfizer |date=December 9, 2010}}</ref> Aondoakka, who had allegedly demanded bribes from Pfizer in return for a settlement of the case,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/in-defense-of-blackmail-why-shouldnt-pfizer-dig-dirt-on-crooked-pols/ |title=In Defense of Blackmail: Why Shouldn't Pfizer Dig Dirt on Crooked Pols? |first=Jim |last=Edwards |work=[[CBS News]] |date=January 4, 2011}}</ref> was declared unfit for office and had his U.S. visa revoked in association with corruption charges in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michael Aondoakaa "Unfit" To Remain SAN, Says CDHR In High-Powered Petition |url=http://saharareporters.com/2010/07/19/michael-aondoakaa-%E2%80%9Cunfit%E2%80%9D-remain-san-says-cdhr-high-powered-petition |website=Sahara Reporters}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wikileaks on Nigeria's Corrupt Oil Sales at NNPC, Shell, US Ambassador |date=December 12, 2010 |url=http://usafricaonline.com/2010/12/12/wikileaks-on-nigerias-oil-corruption-nnpc-shell-us-ambassador-attorney-general-aondoakaa/}}</ref>

The lawsuits were eventually settled out of court. Pfizer committed to paying {{US$|35 million}} "to compensate the families of children in the study", another $30 million to "support healthcare initiatives in Kano", and $10 million to cover legal costs. Payouts began in 2011.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lenzer |first1=J. |title=Pfizer settles with victims of Nigerian drug trial |journal=BMJ |date=16 August 2011 |volume=343 |issue=aug16 3 |pages=d5268 |doi=10.1136/bmj.d5268 |pmid=21846712 |s2cid=8758603}}</ref>

===2022 Inflating Prices fine===
In July 2022, UK antitrust authorities fined Pfizer £63 million for unfairly high priced drug that aids in controlling epileptic seizures. The Competition and Markets Authority stated that the company took advantage of loopholes by de-branding epilepsy drug Epanutin, by doing so the price of Epanutin's price was not regulated to the same standards the company are used to and therefore the price of the drug was raised. It was stated that over a four-year period, Pfizer had billed Epanutin for around 780% and 1,600% higher than its standard price.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-21/pfizer-flynn-fined-70-million-for-unfair-epilepsy-drug-prices#xj4y7vzkg|title=Pfizer, Flynn Fined £70 Million for Epilepsy Drug Prices|last=Browning|first=Jonny|date=21 July 2022|website=bloomberg.com|publisher=Bloomberg|access-date=27 July 2022}}</ref>

===2022 Allegations of patent infringement on mRNA technology===

In August 2022, [[Moderna]] announced that it will sue Pfizer and its partner [[BioNTech]] for [[Patent infringement|infringing their patent]] on the mRNA technology.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Reed |first1=Jim |title=Moderna suing Pfizer over Covid vaccine technology |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-62691102 |access-date=2022-08-27 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=2022-08-26}}</ref> In May 2024, the [[European Patent Office]] upheld the validity of Moderna's EP949 patent, one of the two patents asserted against Pfizer and BioNTech.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Moderna wins Covid jab patent dispute over Pfizer and BioNTech |url=https://www.ft.com/content/50c5078c-c9f0-4b35-b916-3475b641c773 |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=www.ft.com|date=May 17, 2024 |last1=Johnston |first1=Ian |last2=Barnes |first2=Oliver }}</ref>