Whistleblower law suit against Celgene unsealed

A US federal court yesterday unsealed a whistleblower/false claims law suit brought against US biotech firm Celgene (Nasdaq: CELG), according to law firm Grant & Eisenhofer, which represents a key whistleblower.

The case, US ex rel Beverly Brown v Celgene Corp, was unsealed by the US District Court for the Central District of California, was originally filed under seal in 2007.

The suit, filed by a former sales representative, claims that Celgene marketed its drugs Thalomid (thalidomide) and multiple myeloma treatment Revlimid (lenalidomide) to cancer patients and their doctors for purposes not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and paid kickbacks to physicians for prescribing the medications. According to the suit, Celgene knowingly concealed the risks of venous thromboembolism and deaths associated with Thalomid use in cancer patients.

The suit contends that when Celgene ultimately secured an indication for treatment of multiple myeloma with Thalomid, the approval was conditioned on a black-box warning on the drug’s packaging, alerting doctors and patients of the significant risks of venous thromboembolism and fatality.