Suits Claims Drug Maker Paid for Off-Label Uses

Six lawsuits filed in federal courts claim Schering-Plough Corp. offered bribes and kickbacks to physicians to prescribe medications for off-label uses.

The suits, pending in New Jersey and Arizona, claim the Kenilworth, N.J.-based company paid physicians to prescribe its cancer and hepatitis drugs, according to the New Jersey Law Journal. Plaintiffs include health insurers, unions and consumers.

Schering-Plough, based in Kenilworth, N.J., paid a $180 million fine as part of a plea deal last year to settle a federal investigation into its marketing practices, the newspaper says. Prosecutors had alleged the company sometimes spent hundreds of dollars a patient in entertainment or payments for sitting on advisory boards or other activities.

Schering-Plough filed a motion on Thursday seeking to move the Arizona litigation to New Jersey.