My Blog in the News

Ed Silverman, one of the most brilliant healthcare reporters in the country, wrote the following article for the Star Ledger.

Rost takes on Pfizer

One thing can be said about Peter Rost -- he doesn't go away quietly.

Rost, you may remember, is the former Pfizer executive who publicly criticized the pharmaceutical industry for its pricing policies. His unusual efforts drew national attention.

But there was more. He also had filed a whistle-blower lawsuit against Pfizer for inappropriate marketing of Genotropin, a growth hormone originally marketed by Pharmacia, now part of Pfizer. Last December, however, the U.S. Attorney in Boston decided not to join his suit, and Rost was fired.

Now, Rost is locked in a wrongful-termination lawsuit with Pfizer, and he takes great joy in posting his view of the litigation on his blog. This week, for instance, Rost charges Pfizer is in a "state of panic" over his lawyers' requests for documents that may reveal "se crets" the company doesn't want known.

The New York-based drug maker is seeking a protective order in which nothing would be accessible to anyone except the lawyers involved, according to Rost's blog.

But there's a twist. Pfizer's general counsel, Jeff Kindler -- who, like other Pfizer execs, is named as a defendant -- has full access. Rost speculates that may give Kindler an edge in a three-way horse race to replace Hank McKinnell as Pfizer chief executive. That's be cause Kindler is also one of three vice chairmen, and Rost maintains Kindler's rivals won't be privy to documents involving Rost and a separate, ongoing Justice Department probe into Genotropin.

A Pfizer spokesman didn't respond to requests for comment.

-- Ed Silverman

And as an additional bonus, here's a picture of my lawyer. She's a Briton and has a thing for heavy artillery, as you can tell.

She also has an accent that makes any opposing counsel shrink in front of her and she's a killer during cross examination.

Now you know why I'll win against Pfizer. And why I think the law is such a beautiful and amazing battle field.