A former Sun Pharmaceutical sales employee has a filed a lawsuit claiming retaliation for objecting to alleged off-label marketing practices, the second time in four months that one of the world’s largest generic drug makers has been accused of such a move amid rising scrutiny of its business practices.
In her lawsuit, Sandra Hagenbrock, a former national account director, claimed that company managers flouted internal policies prohibiting off-label marketing. Instead, the drug maker tried to “aggressively solicit opportunities to present off-label information to decision-makers (notably, physicians and health plans) about its drugs.” Among them was the Yonsa treatment for prostate cancer.
Hagenbrock, 57, repeatedly balked at doing so and was admonished for “putting things in writing.” Eventually, she was criticized about her weight and age, overlooked for promotions, and received reduced bonuses before being fired this past July, according to her lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday.
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