The drugmaker admitted July 24 to making false statements to the Massachusetts Medicaid program related to the safety of suboxone around children. In October 2012, Indivior tried to persuade MassHealth to expand Medicaid coverage of the drug in Massachusetts and sent it false data indicating Suboxone had the lowest rate of children accidentally taking the medication of all buprenorphine drugs in Massachusetts, which wasn’t true, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
Buprenorphine is a powerful opioid in Suboxone, approved to treat opioid addiction and reduce withdrawal symptoms.
The total resolution related to Indivior’s marketing of Suboxone is more than $2 billion, in combination with a $1.4 billion resolution with Indivior’s former parent company last year and a plea agreement with the company’s former CEO announced last month, making it the largest-ever resolution brought by the Justice Department involving an opioid drug.
“During the nationwide opioid epidemic, Indivior Solutions made false statements about Suboxone’s safety to increase its sales. In doing so, Indivior Solutions misled government health care officials and is being held accountable today for its felonious conduct,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bubar of the Western District of Virginia.
The drugmaker’s resolution with the Justice Department requires it to disband its Suboxone sales force and not reinstate it.
Read the Justice Department’s full news release here.
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