Pfizer paid nearly $60 million to resolve allegations its Biohaven subsidiary used kickbacks to drive Nurtec prescriptions

Summary

Pfizer agreed in January 2025, on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiary Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd., to pay $59,746,277 to resolve False Claims Act allegations involving the migraine medication Nurtec ODT. The conduct alleged by the Justice Department occurred before Pfizer acquired Biohaven. The federal government alleged that Biohaven knowingly caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare and other federal health-care programs by paying remuneration to health-care providers intended to induce prescriptions of Nurtec. The allegations concerned Biohaven's speaker programs for health-care professionals. According to the government, Biohaven selected certain health-care providers to participate in paid speaker programs while those providers were prescribing Nurtec. The Justice Department alleged that some speaker payments and related remuneration constituted kickbacks intended to influence prescribing decisions. Federal law prohibits pharmaceutical companies from offering or paying remuneration intended to induce referrals or purchases of products reimbursed by federal health-care programs. Claims resulting from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute may also create liability under the False Claims Act. Pfizer acquired Biohaven in October 2022. Pfizer subsequently agreed, on behalf of the subsidiary, to pay $59,746,277 to resolve the federal allegations. The settlement resolved civil claims and did not constitute a determination of liability. Accordingly, the conduct described in this evidence record should remain framed as allegations resolved through settlement rather than as findings that Pfizer itself committed the pre-acquisition conduct. Primary source: U.S. Department of Justice — Pfizer Agrees to Pay Nearly $60M to Resolve False Claims Allegations Relating to Improper Physician Payments by Subsidiary: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/pfizer-agrees-pay-nearly-60m-resolve-false-claims-allegations-relating-improper-physician