Mass. doctor accused of faking painkiller studies charged with federal health care fraud

[Guest guest]

The

hospital asked the journals to retract the studies, some of which

reported favourable results from painkillers including Pfizer Inc.'s

Bextra, Celebrex and Lyrica and Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx. His studies

also claimed Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor could be used as a

painkiller.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5ipzKVyYC7MCIi5rtKGa-HwosGcxQ

Mass. doctor accused of faking painkiller studies charged with federal

health care fraud

By Rodrique Ngowi

(CP)

–

21 hours ago

BOSTON — Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that they have filed

a health care fraud charge against a doctor accused of faking research

for a dozen years in published studies that suggested after-surgery

benefits from painkillers including Vioxx and Celebrex.

Court

documents indicate that Dr. Reuben, an anesthesiologist, has

agreed to plead guilty in exchange for prosecutors recommending a more

lenient sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and

forfeiture of assets worth at least $50,000 that Reuben received for

the research.

Prosecutors allege the former chief of acute pain

at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield sought and received research

grants from pharmaceutical companies but never performed the studies.

He fabricated patient data and submitted information to anesthesiology

journals that unwittingly published it, court documents allege.

Reuben,

a Longmeadow resident, took leave after the hospital said last year

that a routine review found that some of his research was not approved

by an internal hospital review board. Further investigation found 21

papers published in anesthesiology journals between 1996 and 2008 in

which Reuben made up some or all data, the hospital said. Hospital

officials said Reuben did not admit to the fabrications.

The

hospital asked the journals to retract the studies, some of which

reported favourable results from painkillers including Pfizer Inc.'s

Bextra, Celebrex and Lyrica and Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx. His studies

also claimed Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor could be used as a

painkiller.

Vioxx and Bextra - among a class of painkillers known

as -2 inhibitors - were pulled from the market amid mounting

evidence they raised the risk of heart attack, stroke and death.

Celebrex is still on the market. Lyrica is a treatment for fibromyalgia.

Reuben's

attorney said last year that his client co-operated with the hospital

review and expressed regret. The lawyer did not immediately return a

call for comment Thursday on the federal complaint.

A telephone listing for Reuben could not be found.

Pfizer

gave Reuben five research grants between 2002 and 2007. He also was a

member of the company's speakers bureau, giving talks about Pfizer

drugs to colleagues. The company has said it was not involved in the

conduct of Reuben's studies or in the interpretation or publication of

the results.

The investigation was first reported by the trade publication,

Anesthesiology News.

The

journal Anesthesia & Analgesia retracted 10 of Reuben's studies last

February. The journal Anesthesiology said last year that it retracted

three.

Copyright © 2010 The Canadian

Press. All rights reserved.

[Guest guest]

The

hospital asked the journals to retract the studies, some of which

reported favourable results from painkillers including Pfizer Inc.'s

Bextra, Celebrex and Lyrica and Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx. His studies

also claimed Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor could be used as a

painkiller.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5ipzKVyYC7MCIi5rtKGa-HwosGcxQ

Mass. doctor accused of faking painkiller studies charged with federal

health care fraud

By Rodrique Ngowi

(CP)

–

21 hours ago

BOSTON — Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that they have filed

a health care fraud charge against a doctor accused of faking research

for a dozen years in published studies that suggested after-surgery

benefits from painkillers including Vioxx and Celebrex.

Court

documents indicate that Dr. Reuben, an anesthesiologist, has

agreed to plead guilty in exchange for prosecutors recommending a more

lenient sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and

forfeiture of assets worth at least $50,000 that Reuben received for

the research.

Prosecutors allege the former chief of acute pain

at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield sought and received research

grants from pharmaceutical companies but never performed the studies.

He fabricated patient data and submitted information to anesthesiology

journals that unwittingly published it, court documents allege.

Reuben,

a Longmeadow resident, took leave after the hospital said last year

that a routine review found that some of his research was not approved

by an internal hospital review board. Further investigation found 21

papers published in anesthesiology journals between 1996 and 2008 in

which Reuben made up some or all data, the hospital said. Hospital

officials said Reuben did not admit to the fabrications.

The

hospital asked the journals to retract the studies, some of which

reported favourable results from painkillers including Pfizer Inc.'s

Bextra, Celebrex and Lyrica and Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx. His studies

also claimed Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor could be used as a

painkiller.

Vioxx and Bextra - among a class of painkillers known

as -2 inhibitors - were pulled from the market amid mounting

evidence they raised the risk of heart attack, stroke and death.

Celebrex is still on the market. Lyrica is a treatment for fibromyalgia.

Reuben's

attorney said last year that his client co-operated with the hospital

review and expressed regret. The lawyer did not immediately return a

call for comment Thursday on the federal complaint.

A telephone listing for Reuben could not be found.

Pfizer

gave Reuben five research grants between 2002 and 2007. He also was a

member of the company's speakers bureau, giving talks about Pfizer

drugs to colleagues. The company has said it was not involved in the

conduct of Reuben's studies or in the interpretation or publication of

the results.

The investigation was first reported by the trade publication,

Anesthesiology News.

The

journal Anesthesia & Analgesia retracted 10 of Reuben's studies last

February. The journal Anesthesiology said last year that it retracted

three.

Copyright © 2010 The Canadian

Press. All rights reserved.

[Guest guest]

The

hospital asked the journals to retract the studies, some of which

reported favourable results from painkillers including Pfizer Inc.'s

Bextra, Celebrex and Lyrica and Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx. His studies

also claimed Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor could be used as a

painkiller.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5ipzKVyYC7MCIi5rtKGa-HwosGcxQ

Mass. doctor accused of faking painkiller studies charged with federal

health care fraud

By Rodrique Ngowi

(CP)

–

21 hours ago

BOSTON — Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that they have filed

a health care fraud charge against a doctor accused of faking research

for a dozen years in published studies that suggested after-surgery

benefits from painkillers including Vioxx and Celebrex.

Court

documents indicate that Dr. Reuben, an anesthesiologist, has

agreed to plead guilty in exchange for prosecutors recommending a more

lenient sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and

forfeiture of assets worth at least $50,000 that Reuben received for

the research.

Prosecutors allege the former chief of acute pain

at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield sought and received research

grants from pharmaceutical companies but never performed the studies.

He fabricated patient data and submitted information to anesthesiology

journals that unwittingly published it, court documents allege.

Reuben,

a Longmeadow resident, took leave after the hospital said last year

that a routine review found that some of his research was not approved

by an internal hospital review board. Further investigation found 21

papers published in anesthesiology journals between 1996 and 2008 in

which Reuben made up some or all data, the hospital said. Hospital

officials said Reuben did not admit to the fabrications.

The

hospital asked the journals to retract the studies, some of which

reported favourable results from painkillers including Pfizer Inc.'s

Bextra, Celebrex and Lyrica and Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx. His studies

also claimed Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor could be used as a

painkiller.

Vioxx and Bextra - among a class of painkillers known

as -2 inhibitors - were pulled from the market amid mounting

evidence they raised the risk of heart attack, stroke and death.

Celebrex is still on the market. Lyrica is a treatment for fibromyalgia.

Reuben's

attorney said last year that his client co-operated with the hospital

review and expressed regret. The lawyer did not immediately return a

call for comment Thursday on the federal complaint.

A telephone listing for Reuben could not be found.

Pfizer

gave Reuben five research grants between 2002 and 2007. He also was a

member of the company's speakers bureau, giving talks about Pfizer

drugs to colleagues. The company has said it was not involved in the

conduct of Reuben's studies or in the interpretation or publication of

the results.

The investigation was first reported by the trade publication,

Anesthesiology News.

The

journal Anesthesia & Analgesia retracted 10 of Reuben's studies last

February. The journal Anesthesiology said last year that it retracted

three.

Copyright © 2010 The Canadian

Press. All rights reserved.

[Guest guest]

The

hospital asked the journals to retract the studies, some of which

reported favourable results from painkillers including Pfizer Inc.'s

Bextra, Celebrex and Lyrica and Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx. His studies

also claimed Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor could be used as a

painkiller.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5ipzKVyYC7MCIi5rtKGa-HwosGcxQ

Mass. doctor accused of faking painkiller studies charged with federal

health care fraud

By Rodrique Ngowi

(CP)

–

21 hours ago

BOSTON — Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that they have filed

a health care fraud charge against a doctor accused of faking research

for a dozen years in published studies that suggested after-surgery

benefits from painkillers including Vioxx and Celebrex.

Court

documents indicate that Dr. Reuben, an anesthesiologist, has

agreed to plead guilty in exchange for prosecutors recommending a more

lenient sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and

forfeiture of assets worth at least $50,000 that Reuben received for

the research.

Prosecutors allege the former chief of acute pain

at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield sought and received research

grants from pharmaceutical companies but never performed the studies.

He fabricated patient data and submitted information to anesthesiology

journals that unwittingly published it, court documents allege.

Reuben,

a Longmeadow resident, took leave after the hospital said last year

that a routine review found that some of his research was not approved

by an internal hospital review board. Further investigation found 21

papers published in anesthesiology journals between 1996 and 2008 in

which Reuben made up some or all data, the hospital said. Hospital

officials said Reuben did not admit to the fabrications.

The

hospital asked the journals to retract the studies, some of which

reported favourable results from painkillers including Pfizer Inc.'s

Bextra, Celebrex and Lyrica and Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx. His studies

also claimed Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor could be used as a

painkiller.

Vioxx and Bextra - among a class of painkillers known

as -2 inhibitors - were pulled from the market amid mounting

evidence they raised the risk of heart attack, stroke and death.

Celebrex is still on the market. Lyrica is a treatment for fibromyalgia.

Reuben's

attorney said last year that his client co-operated with the hospital

review and expressed regret. The lawyer did not immediately return a

call for comment Thursday on the federal complaint.

A telephone listing for Reuben could not be found.

Pfizer

gave Reuben five research grants between 2002 and 2007. He also was a

member of the company's speakers bureau, giving talks about Pfizer

drugs to colleagues. The company has said it was not involved in the

conduct of Reuben's studies or in the interpretation or publication of

the results.

The investigation was first reported by the trade publication,

Anesthesiology News.

The

journal Anesthesia & Analgesia retracted 10 of Reuben's studies last

February. The journal Anesthesiology said last year that it retracted

three.

Copyright © 2010 The Canadian

Press. All rights reserved.