A raft of lawsuits centered in New Jersey allege that Schering-Plough Corp. offered bribes, kickbacks and other incentives to doctors to get them to prescribe its hepatitis and cancer drugs for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Of six lawsuits filed, five are pending with U.S. District Judge Stanley Chesler in Newark, N.J., and the Kenilworth, N.J., drug company wants the cases tried in that state.