Whistleblowers: Drug company bribed doctors to boost sales

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Two whistleblowers at a pharmaceutical company responsible for one of the largest drug price increases in US history said the company bribed doctors and their staffs to increase sales.

Two whistleblowers at a pharmaceutical company responsible for one of the largest drug price increases in US history said the company bribed doctors and their staffs to increase sales, according to newly unsealed documents in federal court.

The effort, the whistleblowers said in a lawsuit against the company, was part of an intentional"multi-tiered strategy" by Questcor Pharmaceuticals, now Mallinckrodt, to boost sales of H.P. Acthar Gel, cheating the government out of millions of dollars.The price of the drug, best known for treating a rare infant seizure disorder, has increased almost 97,000%, from $40 a vial in 2000 to nearly $39,000 today.

The drug's price has been a source of controversy for more than a decade, since the price shot up overnight in August 2007 from $1,600 to $23,000 a vial. At the time, the drug was primarily marketed for infantile spasms, a debilitating seizure disorder in babies.Despite protests from the nation's top epilepsy foundations and neurology groups over the drug's high cost, Acthar's price has climbed another $16,000 per vial. Today, it's listed around $39,000 a vial.

 

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Happens all across the world

DAMMMMM!!!!!!!!😣

surprised - not.

This a shakedown by drug companies on the US government. Someone should talk to Mueller about a real job

A common practice even here in the Philippines in the form of perks etc..

All companies all over the world have been doing this for over 50 years! Why is it news in the US?

😮🙄

The megapharmaceuticals like these guys and the insulin manufacturers made Martin Shkreli look like an amateur.

Medicare reimbursements being cheated And fraudulently paid out due to corrupt Pharma execs and no doubt since its a Government ran program, quality control was very low on the priorities list. Doesn’t it just make you want to jump up onto the Medicare for all wagon

I think it is time to cut the price of all name brand prescription drugs to $0.00 & make generic drugs illegal, then stop pushing vaccines since it is the cause of all outbreaks.

What a shocker

They buy off politicians and doctors.

ma questo è una cosa normale. succede in tutto il mondo . in questi casi è scoprirli

We already knew this.

just like the vaccine push

Med4all now, I could careless if these doctors can only afford one Ferrari.

I don't understand how these pharma execs sleep at night. They already make enough money to pay all of their bills plus a whole lot more. Meanwhile, millions of other human beings have to go without groceries, clothing, or get behind on their rent because of the increased prices.

ohh

Bring them down to reality.

typical practice

God bless America

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