A Santa Clara County jury delivered a US$38 million verdict against Pfizer for stealing trade secrets in the hope of keeping its controversial drug Bextra (valdecoxib) on the market.

Pfizer in 2002 wanted to use the IREF (Ischemia Research and Education Foundation)’s database for clinical trials on Bextra. At that time, the drugmaker arranged a side deal with Ping Hsu, a lead statistician at the foundation.

According to Dr. Dennis Mangano, founder of IREF, Pfizer had stolen the information IREF had gathered in order to manifulate it to keep their drug Bextra on the market and the drugmaker was willing to profit at the expense of patient safety.

Bextra was removed from the market in 2005 due to concerns that it increased the risk of heart attack and stroke.