Madigan: Amgen to pay nearly $2
million for defrauding Illinois Medicaid program
Attorney general announces settlement
with Amgen over kickbacks, illegal marketing of drugs that defrauded
state & federal health care programs
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[December 21, 2012]
CHICAGO -- Attorney General Lisa
Madigan joined her state counterparts across the country and the
federal government Wednesday in announcing a $612 million settlement
with the pharmaceutical company Amgen Inc. The settlement resolves
allegations that Amgen illegally promoted six of its drugs to
defraud state and federally funded health care programs, including
$1.7 million in false claims submitted to the Illinois Medicaid
program.
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The states and the federal government alleged that Amgen offered kickbacks to
medical professionals for pushing Medicaid patients to use the drugs Aranesp,
Enbrel, Epogen, Neulasta, Neupogen and Sensipar, which are primarily used by
older patients. The states also alleged Amgen illegally marketed and promoted
Aranesp, Enbrel and Neulasta for medical uses not approved by the Food and Drug
Administration. "Amgen's use of taxpayer dollars to influence what doctors prescribed created
significant risks for vulnerable patients in Illinois' Medicaid program,"
Madigan said.
Under the settlement, Amgen will pay $612 million in civil damages and
penalties to compensate Medicaid, Medicare and various federal health care
programs for harm suffered as a result of its conduct. Amgen also pleaded guilty
to federal criminal charges related to drug labeling and FDA reporting. The
company must also enter into a corporate integrity agreement with the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Inspector General, which
will closely monitor the company's future marketing and sales practices.
Specifically, the states and federal government alleged that Amgen:
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Illegally marketed the drugs
Aranesp, Enbrel and Neulasta.
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Illegally offered or paid
kickbacks to medical personnel for pushing certain drugs to Medicaid
patients.
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Knowingly reported inaccurate
average sales prices for Aranesp, Epogen, Neulasta and Neupogen.
-
Knowingly reported inaccurate best prices and
average manufacturers' prices for the six drugs by failing to include
payments to health care providers in exchange for their purchase of Amgen
products, in violation of the Medicaid rebate statute.
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This settlement is based on 10 whistle-blower actions brought by private
individuals pursuant to state and federal false claims acts and filed in the
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the U.S. District Court
for the Eastern District of New York and the U.S. District Court for the Western
District of Washington.
Assistant Attorney General Joseph Chervin handled this case on behalf of
Madigan's Medicaid Fraud Unit and participated in the National Association of
Medicaid Fraud Control Units team that conducted the investigation with the
federal government and the settlement negotiations with Amgen.
[Text from file received from the office
of
Illinois Attorney General Lisa
Madigan]
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