STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- A whistleblower lawsuit has been filed against drugmaker Roche over influenza medicine Tamiflu
- The suit alleges the company made false claims and misrepresented studies, causing the U.S. government to stockpile $1.5 billion of the drug for use during potential pandemics
- The whistleblower lawsuit alleges that Roche knew Tamiflu was ineffective at fighting influenza pandemics but went ahead and “masterfully marketed this drug to fill Roche’s coffers at taxpayer expense”
- The lawsuit was filed under the False Claims Act by Dr. Thomas Jefferson, who has been questioning Tamiflu’s effectiveness since 2009
- Because the False Claims Act mandates payment of triple damages along with civil penalties, Roche could face a judgment in excess of $4.5 billion