The consumer group responsible for the Bitter Pill Awards is launching a class action lawsuit against Pfizer for allegedly deceptive marketing of Lipitor.
The Prescription Access Litigation Project, an arm of Boston-based Community Catalyst, is joining a Teamsters Union local benefit plan to sue Pfizer, arguing that the company made unsubstantiated claims regarding the drug’s effectiveness among women and those over 65. In addition to activist group Health Care for All and Teamsters Local #35 Health Plans, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of two individual plaintiffs.
 The group also has suits in the works against Pfizer, Merck and AstraZeneca for promotions of Celebrex, Vioxx and Nexium.
Community Catalyst reaped some major publicity with its Bitter Pill Awards, an anti-consumer advertising protest of the DTC National conference in Boston earlier this year.
The group said it plans to make the Bitter Pill Awards an annual event.