Pfizer To Pay State $1.7 Million In Settlement

Connecticut will get $1.7 million from Pfizer Inc. as part of a $60 million, 33-state settlement to resolve allegations that the company illegally and deceptively promoted its Celebrex and Bextra drugs.

[Larry Rucker]

I'm sorry but the Atty General really has no idea what he is talking about here. Perhaps he should first complete medical school. Many believe that it is unfortunate that all these drugs, including Vioxx, are not available to patients who have painful arthritis - they could be used with caution in appropriately selected patients. The older arthritis therapies that are left on the market are often not as effective and may cause more problems with the gastrointestinal tract - the reason that these drugs (e.g ibuprofen) are not targeted by the government because there's no money in it for them since they are all generic. This entire process has been conducted by a group of governmental attorneys trying to make a name for themselves. They do not have the patient on consumer's best interest in mind regardless of their pompous commentary.

[Grampy]

"About two-thirds of the $1.7 million will go to Connecticut's general fund. The rest will be used for consumer education activities." Why? Is there not a budget deficit? Who gets the $565,000 for consumer education? Is it Blumenthal's prerogative to award this money to a politically connected crony's company? Put all of the settlement into the general fund and end this attorney general slush fund for friends.

[bones]

Regardless -$1.7M is laughable and pathetic. It smells of collusion, and is merely what they call a "voluntary fine" - merely a COST OF DOING BUSINESS and certainly does not act in any preventive way...... merely give a licens to repeat it.... over, over, and over which we are seeing time and time again...

Grampy wrote:

"About two-thirds of the $1.7 million will go to Connecticut's general fund. The rest will be used for consumer education activities." Why? Is there not a budget deficit? Who gets the $565,000 for consumer education? Is it Blumenthal's prerogative to award this money to a politically connected crony's company? Put all of the settlement into the general fund and end this attorney general slush fund for friends.