Pfizer to pay record penalty in improper marketing case

The Obama administration put drugmakers on notice that they will be forced to atone for improper marketing practices as prosecutors unveiled a record $2.3 billion settlement with Pfizer. Officials at the departments of Justice and Health and Human Services called the agreement a cautionary example of their strategy to team up with states to police errant healthcare businesses. The Pfizer unit Pharmacia & Upjohn pleaded guilty to a single felony charge that accused the company of marketing its anti-inflammatory drug Bextra for broader uses and higher dosages than those approved by the Food and Drug Administration.