AG: NY will reap $138M in Johnson & Johnson settlement
Casey Seiler, Capitol bureau chief
New York State’s Medicaid program will receive $138 million as part of a $1.6 billion multi-state settlement resolving civil and criminal allegations that Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., promoted the sale and use of Risperdal and Invega for uses not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Risperdal and Invega are anti-psychotic medications approved by the FDA to treat schizophrenia and Bipolar I Disorder during the period covered by the charges and lawsuit. The states charged that the companies were aggressively marketing the drugs for “off-label” uses, including treatment of children.
Related lawsuits involving Risperdal have accused the companies of downplaying potentially harmful side effects — including the development of breasts in boys.
Johnson & Johnson and Janssen, both based in New Jersey, agreed to pay the states and the federal government more than $1.2 billion in civil damages and penalties to compensate Medicaid, Medicare, and various other government programs. Additionally, Janssen will plead guilty in federal court in Philadelphia to violations of the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act, and has agreed to pay $400 million in criminal fines and forfeitures.
Read more at http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/198616/ag-ny-will-reap-138m-in-johnson-johnson-settlement/