Amgen Guilty of Off-Label Marketing, $762m Fine

December 19, 2012 | Amgen pleaded guilty in federal court to improper marketing of its anemia drug Aranesp and has agreed to $762 million in fines and settlements. Prosecutors said the company was encouraging doctors to use its popular anemia drug for unapproved uses in efforts to boost its bottom line. Doctors are free to prescribe medications as they see fit, but pharma companies are banned from promoting off-label uses, even ones that are well-established in the medical field, without the consent of FDA (see, The Off-Label Drug War of Words). LA Times