The Drug & Device Law blog recently posted an analysis of an interesting case, United States ex rel. Solis v. Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., that takes an issue the government has fought in the past – off-label promotion – and attempts to provide a link between it and the false claims issues that relators bring under the government's name. Solis asserts that the dissemination of certain published medical articles on the part of the defendant constituted off-label promotion and resulted in the submission of false claims for federal reimbursement.
As Reed Smith partner Jim Beck discusses in his post, False Claims Act (FCA) litigation may provide drug and medical device counsel with ample opportunity to cite the First Amendment as a means of defense. The defense in Solis – supported in an amicus curiae brief filed by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America– argues that the dissemination of the medical articles was not "false" in that it did not present incorrect or misleading information, was protected by First Amendment, and did not lead to the submission of any false claims.
This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.
