Court upholds $142 million verdict against Pfizer over Neurontin

By Nick Brown (Reuters) – A federal appeals court said Pfizer Inc should pay about $142 million to cover costs for the marketing and prescribing of epilepsy drug Neurontin for unapproved uses, a practice that has also earned it a hefty criminal fine. A panel of appellate judges in Boston on Wednesday refused to overturn a ruling in favor of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, which claimed it had been damaged after prescribing Neurontin for conditions it did not effectively treat, based on fraudulent marketing by Pfizer, the largest U.S. drugmaker. …