Insys Therapeutics Accused of Fraudulent Opioid Marketing And Bribing Doctors
Opioids are in the headlines again as drug company, Insys Therapeutics, faces another accusation of fraudulent marketing and bribing doctors.
New York has become the latest state to take legal action against Insys Therapeutics.
Eric Schneiderman who serves as attorney general of New York, announced on Thursday that action would be taken against Insys who is accused of having negligently marketed their potent fentanyl spray Subsys.
“At a time when the opioid epidemic was ravaging New York, Insys Therapeutics allegedly marketed a drug illegally by blatantly disregarding the grave risks of addiction and death that opioids pose,” Schneiderman said.
According to Reuters, “New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman alleged that the Chandler, Arizona-based drugmaker recklessly marketed its product Subsys for wider uses than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved and bribed doctors to prescribe it.”
Insys has said that it aimed to address misuse and abuse of opioids that have caused deaths and addictions.
“We intend to continue working collaboratively and constructively with all relevant authorities to resolve our outstanding governmental investigations,” the company said in a statement late Thursday.
Insys has received subpoenas from at least 15 other states and has already settled lawsuits filed by Oregon, Illinois, New Hampshire and Massachussetts.
Insys founder John Kapoor was previously accused of participating in a scheme to bribe doctors to prescribe Subsys and to defraud insurers. Seven former executives including Kapoor are scheduled to face trial in January of 2019 to face those chargers.
Insys claims that it is in settlement talks with the U.S Justice Department and will have to pay a minimum of $150 million.
The company added that they are working on measures to prevent past mistakes from occurring again and added that Subsys made up 0.02 percent of opioid prescriptions in 2016.
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