The ‘Zube Affair,’ as industry insiders now call the swirling accusations of off-label marketing surrounding the drugmaker, has caught the eye of Congressman Pete Stark, according to a congressional aide.

The Democrat from California, who is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and currently chairs its health subcommittee, wants to learn more about the allegations that have cropped up over the past two weeks, the source tells Pharmalot.

Already, the HHS Office of Inspector General is “aware” of the allegations that cancer meds were illegally promoted by sales managers and sales reps, although the agency has declined to say whether an investigation is under way.

The Congressional interest, which could result in an investigation, may take the scandal to a new level. Until this week, the two-week-old controversy was largely a topic of interest on the Internet among bloggers and AstraZeneca sales reps.

Yesterday, however, the affair drew national attention when CNBC aired a segment discussing the former AstraZeneca regional sales manager, Mike Zubillaga, who was fired two weeks ago after bloggers posted an internal newsletter in which he likened a doctor’s office to “a big bucket of money.” That was followed by anonymous leaks this past week of AstraZeneca sales material that contained alleged violations of company policy.

[tags]AstraZeneca, Mike Zubillaga, Pete Stark[/tags]