THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.—Leaders of 14 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Friday accusing Amgen of engaging in illegal kickbacks to promote sales of its anemia drug Aranesp, The New York Times reported. The lawsuit alleges that Amgen gave free samples to doctors by including small extra amounts of the drug in each vial. “The medical practices could then make a profit by billing insurers, including state Medicaid programs, for the extra drug,” according to the article.
Andrew M. Cuomo, the attorney general of New York, led the charges, and said in a statement, “In an egregious violation of the law, Amgen allegedly bribed medical providers and left taxpayers footing the bill for free drug samples.”
The lawsuit also names drug distributor AmerisourceBergen, a drug distributor.
To read The New York Times article, click HERE.
