DENVER — Colorado joined the federal government and 38 other states and territories to settle with a Pfizer susbidiary over alleged migraine drug kickbacks, Attorney General Phil Weiser announced Friday.
As part of the settlement, Pfizer agreed to pay over $59 million, including restitution to Colorado for $156,253.
From March 2020 through September 2022, the federal and states government investigated Biohaven Pharmaceutical — a subsidiary of Pfizer — paying kickbacks to healthcare providers. Cash, expensive meals and drinks were paid for in exchange for providers prescribing Biohaven’s product Nurtec for Medicaid and other federal healthcare beneficiaries. The drug is used to treat migraine headaches.
The investigation found that Biohaven paid the kickbacks to providers as compensation for presenting at speaking events with the goal of getting doctors to prescribe the drug. Biohaven paid some providers tens of thousands of dollars, and sometimes more than $100,000, Weiser said. People with no reason to attend the events, like speaker’s family members, also benefited from the kickbacks.
A whistleblower Patricia Frattasio — a former employee of Biohaven — tipped off investigators. Frattasio will receive part of the settlement.
A Pfizer spokesperson sent the following statement to Denver7:
“The settlement relates to alleged conduct at Biohaven before Pfizer’s acquisition of the company in October 2022 and does not include any admission of liability or wrongdoing. We are pleased to put this legacy matter behind us, so that we can continue to focus on the needs of patients.”
Anyone who suspects Medicaid fraud or any type of scam, can file a complaint with Weiser’s office at StopFraudColorado.gov.
