• First Government recovery from investigation into marketing of Zocor® and Vioxx®.
  
  
• First fully-coordinated whistleblower-federal-state Medicaid fraud investigation.
  
  
• First Medicaid fraud enforcement in which the States, lead by Nevada, tested an innovative prosecution theory.
  
  
• First Federal and state nominal price Medicaid fraud settlement.
  
  

Between 1998 and 2004, Merck employed several schemes with doctors and hospitals to defraud Medicaid and maintain market share for Vioxx®, the discontinued arthritis drug, and Zocor®, the statin whose patent protection expired in 2006, it was alleged.

When Dean Steinke, a Merck district sales manager, was unable to get management to stop its improper drug marketing tactics, he brought evidence to a team of experienced qui tam whistleblower attorneys. They took his case under seal to federal and state Governments.

After seven years of investigation and litigation, it was settled today, returning more than $400 million to federal and state taxpayers. Read More

Experienced qui tam whistleblower attorneys helped foster the first fully-coordinated federal-state investigation. State and federal prosecutors worked side-by-side with the whistleblower and his attorneys, presenting Merck with a formidable, united front. Read More

The whistleblower and his attorneys, with federal and state prosecutors, conducted a seven-year investigation that produced the second largest Medicaid drug fraud civil settlement in the history of the False Claims Act.

More than $20 billion has been recovered in federal civil actions under the False Claims Act since the statute was amended in 1986 to provide enhanced rewards and protections for qui tam whistleblowers. Read More

Use this form or call 215-736-0198.

Steven H. Cohen
Mark Kleiman
BethAnne Yeager

2008 Lawyers of the Year - Recognition By Qui Tam Bar, D.C.-Based Taxpayers Against Fraud