Indivior, Suboxone Maker, Charged with Fraud

"Opioid Maker Charged With Fraud In Marketing Drug As Less Prone To Abuse"

 

https://www.npr.org/2019/04/10/711669778/opioid-maker-charged-with-fraud-in-marketing-drug-as-less-prone-to-abuse

 

"Federal prosecutors late Tuesday charged British drug maker Indivior with felony fraud and conspiracy for its marketing of opioid products including Suboxone. The company allegedly created a "nationwide scheme" in the U.S. designed to convince doctors and government insurance providers their patented opioid medications are safer and less prone to abuse than cheaper generic alternatives.

 

"The indictment alleges that, rather than marketing its opioid-addiction drug responsibly, Indivior promoted it with a disregard for the truth about its safety and despite known risks of diversion and abuse," said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt in a statement.

 

Federal prosecutors claim Indivior bilked Medicare, Medicaid and other health care providers out of billions of dollars as they paid for a more expensive version of the drug, believing it to be safer. The criminal charges, filed in the western district of Virginia, stem from a joint investigation that included the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Virginia's state attorney general office, and other agencies."

 

Indivior

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indivior

 

"Indivior is a specialty pharmaceuticals business. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index."

.

.

"In 2019, Indivior was indited over claims that it had made false marketing claims about the effectiveness of its drug, Suboxone, and had concocted a scheme to direct patients towards doctors who were likely to prescribe Suboxone. The justice department is seeking $3 billion in fines over the incident."

It's interesting how Reckitt Benckiser created this new buprenorphine division, Indivior. Probably to protect their market shares. I was told that Suboxone was not addictive by my doctor's. In 2007 I was naive enough to believe it. Alot of people were.

Far too many successfully hide behind a corporate veil of greed. What disturbs me more is the devastation inflicted upon innocent and/or uninformed victims. 

They should be charged with manslaughter as well as fraud.  And it's worth nothing if they don't also go for the heads of individual executives, the drug companies make allowances for fines and settlements, it's just the cost of doing business.

 

'Prosecutors now say the company knew the dissolvable film version of Suboxone was potentially more dangerous, more susceptible to abuse, and included a higher risk that children might be exposed to the drug. The firm also developed a program that allegedly connected opioid-dependent patients with doctors who prescribed Suboxone "in high doses and in suspect circumstances." '

 

Despicable!

 

Thanks for posting, Fi.