|
 Governor Andrew Cuomo said the charges by New York's Department of
Financial Services are the third this year in that regulator's
opioid industry probe, following charges against Endo International
Plc and Mallinckrodt Plc.
Teva denied the allegations. Abbvie Inc, which bought Allergan in
May, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
New York said Teva, which made 20% of opioids distributed from 2006
to 2014 in the state, intentionally marketed opioids such as Actiq
for off-label use, and drafted form "letters of medical necessity"
for doctors to boost prescriptions and insurer reimbursements.
It said Allergan misrepresented the safety of its drugs in marketing
materials, citing a 2010 U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning
letter over its Kadian pain treatment.
New York also accused Teva and Allergan of using "front groups" and
doctors known as "key opinion leaders" to mislead people about the
safety and effectiveness of opioids.
It cited the 2012 annual meeting of the New York Pain Society in
White Plains, New York, where Allergan was a exhibitor. The state
said a key opinion leader present downplayed addiction signs by
promoting the concept of "pseudoaddiction."
[to top of second column] |
Opioids have contributed to more than 400,000 deaths since 1997, according to
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cuomo called the nation's opioid crisis "an American tragedy that has taken too
many lives and caused irrevocable harm to communities," and he pledged to hold
drugmakers accountable.
New York charged Teva and Allergan with violating two state insurance laws, with
civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.
A hearing was scheduled for Oct. 26 at the financial services department's
offices in Albany, New York.
(Reporting By Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru and Jonathan Stempel in New York;
Editing by Anil D'Silva and Aurora Ellis)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
 |
