California Sues AbbVie Saying It Used Old-Fashioned Doctor Kickbacks, Network Of Nurses To Boost Prescriptions
Over a five-year period, the drugmaker offered everything from cash, meals and drinks, to gifts and trips to get them to prescribe its Humira rheumatoid arthritis treatment, the lawsuit claims. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones also alleges the company engaged nurses who acted as "ambassadors" to visit patients at home and help with administering the drug.
Stat:
AbbVie Accused Of Paying Kickbacks, Using A Stealthy Network To Promote Humira
In a wide-ranging scheme, AbbVie (ABBV) used a combination of old-fashioned kickbacks to doctors and a stealthy network of nurses to illegally boost prescriptions of its best-selling Humira treatment, according to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the California insurance commissioner. Over a five-year period, the drug maker offered physicians a familiar menu of tempting items, from cash, meals and drinks, to gifts and trips, along with patient referrals, in hopes they would write more prescriptions for its Humira rheumatoid arthritis treatment, a $12.3 billion seller in the U.S. last year. (Silverman, 9/18)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Sues AbbVie, Alleging Kickbacks For Blockbuster Drug Humira
The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, accuses AbbVie of illegally offering cash, meals, trips, drinks and patient referrals to physicians across California in order to ensure that they would continue prescribing Humira, a popular drug for Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.(Ho, 9/18)
The Associated Press:
California: Drugmaker Paid Doctors To Overprescribe Humira
"Ultimately, AbbVie gambled with the health and safety of thousands of Californians' lives, including children, by making sure patients continued to take Humira at any cost, all to protect their profits not the health and well-being of patients," Jones said. Humira is an injectable drug that is widely advertised as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions and comes with a warning for cancer and serious infections that can turn deadly. It had sales of over $12 billion in 2017, according to the lawsuit. (Thanawala, 9/18)
Los Angeles Times:
California Sues Maker Of Humira, Says Sales Of Blockbuster Drug Boosted Through Deceptive Practices
Adelle Infante, a spokeswoman for the North Chicago-based drugmaker, said Jones’ allegations “are without merit” and that the company obeys applicable state and federal laws. She also defended the company’s use of nurses to work with patients. “AbbVie provides a number of support services for patients, once they are prescribed Humira, that both educate and assist patients with their therapy, including nursing support, and these resources are beneficial to patients dealing with a chronic condition,” Infante said. “They in no way replace or interfere with interactions between patients and their healthcare providers.” (Koren, 9/18)
Stat:
In Unlikely Alliance, PhRMA Sides With Landlords In Calif. Referendum On Rent Control
The pharmaceutical industry’s most powerful lobbying group is opening its war chest to try to sway a policy fight with no clear connection to medicine or health care, spending a half-million dollars here to oppose a California ballot measure that would expand rent control protections across the state. (Facher and Robbins, 9/19)