Johnson & Johnson—which less than a week ago was accused in California of cheating on 340B discounts for AIDS drugs—has just agreed to pay $2.2 billion to settle a slew of civil and criminal claims, mainly over the illegal marketing of its antipsychotic Risperdal and several other medicines. It is one of the largest health care fraud settlements in U.S. history, including criminal fines and forfeiture totaling $485 million and civil settlements with the federal government and states totaling $1.72 billion.
Among other charges, the federal government alleges that sales representatives for Janssen, the J&J unit that makes Risperdal, promoted the drug to physicians and other prescribers who treated elderly dementia patients by urging the prescribers to use Risperdal off-label to treat symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, depression, hostility, and confusion.
Janssen happens to be the latest drug manufacturer to join the anti-340B group Alliance for Integrity and Reform of 340B (AIR340B). It takes nerve to spout off about integrity and reform when the company appears to have a dearth of the former and a deep need for the latter.