The departures of three HIV division managers come amid an internal investigation into allegations the HIV marketing unit directed sales reps to promote maraviroc, a new type of AIDS drug not yet approved by the FDA, and to push Viracept, a fading HIV med, by using unapproved materials and unapproved funding of CME programs.

According to a Pfizer sales rep, who has complained of retaliation for reporting the alleged violations to the drugmaker, the departures were made official during a 10-minute teleconference held at 4:30 pm on Thursday by Mark Brown, vp of sales, Pfizer Anti-Infective and HIV/AIDS Division, in which about 20 HIV sales reps from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions participated.

The sales rep told us that Brown said the three employees “are no longer with Pfizer.” No specific reasons for the departures were offered. Among those leaving Pfizer, according to the sales rep, is Kelly Fitzgerald, a former assistant sales manager in the HIV division who most recently was an HIV district manager in New England. Reached at home last night, she declined to discuss the probe, this week’s events or her plans. “I really don’t know what I can say right now,” she told us.

She and two colleagues, who were also named on the BrandWeek blog as leaving the drugmaker, according to the sales rep, are Art Rodriguez, the HIV division sales director, and Bob Mumford, a district manager for the Mid-Atlantic region. Neither responded to messages left on their cell phones last night. Brown didn’t answer his office phone. And two Pfizer spokesmen didn’t return messages left for them.

According to the sales rep, Brown told the conference call that “I know many of you are afraid to talk about Viracept because you’re afraid of getting into trouble. But that’s not the case. We want you to continue to promote Viracept, but please don’t use anything that’s unapproved.” No one asked questions about the departures, the sales rep says. “No one said a word,” the sales rep tells Pharmalot.

The alleged violations, which are being investigated by the Ropes & Gray law firm, could prove troubling for Pfizer. The drugmaker is operating under a Corporate Integrity Agreement signed with the federal government, thanks to off-label marketing of Neurontin several years ago.