Health care manufacturer Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries will pay more than $2.2 billion to resolve criminal and civil investigations over allegations that they marketed three drugs for uses that were never approved, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Monday in Washington.
The settlements also cover claims that the companies gave “kickbacks” to physicians and to nursing home pharmacies to promote the drugs’ usage.
The claims involve the drugs Risperdal, Invega and Natrecor.
Holder said Johnson & Johnson improperly marketed the drug Risperdal for treatment of psychotic symptoms in elderly, non-schizophrenic patients, even though the drug was approved only to treat schizophrenia.
He said Rispidol and Invega also were improperly marketed for dementia treatment.
That led insurance companies to pay for claims they never should have been paying, he said.
“(The companies) lined their pockets at the expense of American taxpayers (and) patients,” Holder said.
via CNN.com
This news comes 448 days after mom died, and once again I want to start screaming and punching and kicking.