In a landmark case, Endo Health Solutions has been slapped with one of the largest fines ever imposed on a pharmaceutical company. The company was ordered to pay nearly $1.1 billion in criminal penalties and an additional $450 million in criminal forfeiture for illegally marketing their Opana ER prescription opioid.
According to federal officials, the company recently pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, acknowledging that from April 2012 to May 2013, some sales representatives marketed their medicine, also known as oxymorphone, as abuse deterrent and resistant to tampering and crushing without having the necessary clinical trial data to back up those claims.
The lack of clinical trial data led the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation to accuse Endo Health Solutions of engaging in extensive false advertising efforts to conceal the negative effects of oxymorphone. Jeffrey Veltri, special agent in charge in the Miami Field Office of the FBI, stated that the company demonstrated a callous disregard for the safety and well-being of individuals who were prescribed this highly addictive drug.
This hefty fine and criminal penalties serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of misleading marketing tactics in the pharmaceutical industry. It is hoped that this case will deter other companies from engaging in similar behavior and prioritize public safety above profits.
