Neurontin Timeline
December 1993—Food and Drug Administration approves Neurontin as adjunct treatment for adults with epilepsy. Marketing exclusivity is granted to Parke-Davis, a division of Warner-Lambert. Sales would begin in early 1994.
August 1996—Former Parke-Davis employee David Franklin files suit alleging illegal marketing of Neurontin for off-label uses. Case is put under seal, pending government review.
December 1999—Litigation resumes after seal on Neurontin lawsuits is lifted.
June 2000—Pfizer acquires Warner-Lambert.
October 2000—FDA approves Neurontin as adjunct treatment for children with epilepsy.
May 2002—FDA approves Neurontin as treatment for adults with post-herpetic neuralgia.
2003—Neurontin becomes one of the 50 most-prescribed drugs in the United States.
May 2004—Warner-Lambert pleads guilty to civil and criminal charges regarding illegal marketing of Neurontin, pays $430 million in fines.
March 2005—Number of Neurontin suicides surpasses 250.
April 2005—FDA issues warning about Neurontin side effects.
April 2006—Pfizer recalls 40,000 bottles of Neurontin when manufacturing failure causes some capsules to be empty or partially filled.
August 2006—The Annals of Internal Medicine publishes report critical of Warner-Lambert for illegal and unethical marketing of Neurontin under the guise of medical education.
January 2007—Lyrica, an updated version of Neurontin (approved in mid-2005), proves a financial success, bringing Pfizer $1.2 billion in sales in 2006.