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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Amgen Tricked Him Into Study, Says Patient

LOS ANGELES (CN) - A man says pharmaceutical giant Amgen secretly falsified his medical records to make him eligible for a study of Enbrel, the company's widely used arthritis medication. William Moke says he used the drug for a year and a half before it gave him a heart problem and made all the hair on his body fall out. He also claims that his doctor worked as Amgen's representative during the study, and that his medical records were destroyed.

Moke says he had a mild case of psoriasis before participating in the study. Subjects were supposed to be suffering from moderate to severe psoriasis or arthritis to be considered for the study, according to the complaint.

Moke claims workers for Amgen and its subsidiary, Immunex, conspired with his doctor to alter his medical records.

Moke claims that Amgen pays bonuses to workers and "outside health care providers" who snare extra participants. After altering his medical records, Moke says, Amgen workers talked him into enrolling in the study, claiming to work for Moke's doctor.

Moke says no one told him that Enbrel had any bad side effects. In fact, Moke claims, he told Amgen representatives that he had rejected a competitor's drug because of one of its possible side effects - losing all his body hair.

Moke says Amgen promised to cover medical expenses related to his use of Enbrel. Amgen claims that Moke's heart condition and hair loss are unrelated to his use of Enbrel, according to the complaint.

Moke says his doctor, defendant Vernon D. Wilson, refused to give him his medical records. He claims that Wilson worked as Amgen's representative during the study. And he says that his medical records were destroyed after the study.

Moke seeks damages and an injunction. He is represented in Superior Court by James Urbanic.

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