It is the second-largest monetary resolution obtained by the DOJ in a case involving an opioid drug.
Last year, Reckitt Benckiser agreed to pay $700 million to the settle six qui tam lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania and other states for improperly marketing Suboxone.
In June 2020, Indivior agreed to pay $10 million to finally resolve all allegations filed by Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
In a statement on Thursday, DOJ Civil Division Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark said, “Combating the opioid epidemic is a top priority for the Department of Justice will hold drug manufacturers accountable when they make misrepresentations that could affect consumers’ access to opioid addiction treatments.”
On the other hand, Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel Bubar of the Western District of Virginia said, “When a drug manufacturer claims to be part of the solution to the national opioid epidemic, we expect it to make honest representations to government officials, physicians, and patients, who have to make crucial treatment decisions. Instead, Indivior made false statements about Suboxone’s safety to increase its sales. I’m proud of the close relationship we have with our federal and state partners that led to today’s important result.”
