Author Archives: Site Administrator
U.S. Court of Appeals Vacates Conviction of Pharmaceutical Salesman for Off-Label Marketing on Free Speech Grounds
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a 2-1 opinion invalidating the conviction of Alfred Caronia, a former sales consultant for Orphan Medical, Inc., now known as Jazz Pharmaceuticals. In 2008, a New York jury found Caronia guilty of conspiracy to introduce a misbranded drug into interstate commerce in violation of… Read More »
Victory Pharma, Inc. Agrees to Settle Qui Tam Case
San Diego-based pharmaceutical company, Victory Pharma, Inc. (“Victory”), has agreed to pay $11.4 million to settle civil and criminal charges that it violated the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and $9.9 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act. The charges stem from Victory’s marketing of the drugs Naprelan, Xodol, Fexmid and Dolgic… Read More »
Sanofi-Aventis Agrees to Settle Kickback Lawsuit
Sanofi-Aventis U.S. Inc. and Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC (collectively “Sanofi US”), two subsidiaries of French pharmaceutical company Sanofi, have agreed to pay $109 million to settle a qui tam lawsuit. The settlement resolves allegations that Sanofi US violated the False Claims Act in connection with the drug Hyalgan, a knee injection used to treat osteoarthritis… Read More »
Amgen Agrees to Largest Civil and Criminal False Claims Act Settlement in U.S. History
Fortune 500 company and biotech giant, Amgen, Inc., pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to charges that it illegally introduced a misbranded drug, Aranesp, into interstate commerce. Amgen also agreed to pay $612 million to settle related civil allegations that it caused false claims to be… Read More »
Japan-Based Printing Ink Provider and U.S. Affiliates Settle Whistleblower Case
Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co. Ltd, Toyocolor Co. Ltd., Toyo Ink Co. Ltd. and Toyochem Co. Ltd. based in Japan and U.S. affiliates Toyo Ink Mfg. America LLC, Toyo Ink International Corp. and Toyo Ink America LLC (collectively “Toyo Ink”) have agreed to settle charges that they violated the False Claims Act. Toyo Ink… Read More »
Broward County Whistleblower Receives Million Dollar Payday
Weston resident Jason Wolk is the first private citizen to receive a payout under Broward County’s False Claims Act Ordinance. According to the Sun-Sentinel, Wolk, a former controller for USA Parking Associates, was assigned to work on contracts the company held for parking at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades. Bill Bodenhamer, Jr.,… Read More »
DFB Pharmaceuticals Agrees to Settle Whistleblower Allegations
DFB Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its subsidiary Healthpoint Ltd. based in Ft. Worth, Texas, have agreed to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act in connection with the prescription drug Xenaderm. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the terms of the agreement call for the companies to pay $28 million, plus an… Read More »
Banner Year for False Claims Act Recoveries
The Department of Justice announced that it recovered $4.9 billion for cases filed under the False Claims Act during the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012. It is the largest one-year recovery in the department’s history. Since January 2009, the government has recovered $13.3 billion in settlement and judgments in civil False Claims Act… Read More »
Morton Plant Mease Agrees to Settle Whistleblower Suit For $10.1 Million
The U.S. Justice Department announced that Morton Plant Mease Health Care, Inc., and some of its affiliates (collectively “Morton Plant’), have agreed to pay $10.1 million to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act. According to Morton Plant’s website, it operates a group of hospitals, outpatient and surgical centers, urgent care facilities,… Read More »
South Carolina Hospice Care Provider Agrees to Settle Whistleblower Suit
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Harmony Care Hospice, Inc. (“Harmony”), a hospice company located in South Carolina, and its CEO Daniel J. Burton, have agreed to settle a whistleblower suit for $1.28 million. According to Harmony’s website, it has four offices located in Columbia, Greenville, Hartsville, and Union, and serves patients in… Read More »