Shire to pay $56.5 million to settle allegations it inappropriately promoted ADHD drugs
Shire Pharmaceuticals L.L.C. will pay $56.5 million to settle allegations that it inappropriately promoted the sale of ADHD medicine, among other drugs, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia said Wednesday.
Shire Pharmaceuticals L.L.C. will pay $56.5 million to settle allegations that it inappropriately promoted the sale of ADHD medicine, among other drugs, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia said Wednesday.
Shire is registered in the Channel Islands and headquartered in Dublin, but operates from the United States, including Wayne. Drugmaker AbbVie has a deal to buy Shire for $54 billion, in hopes of reregistering for the sake of lowering the corporate taxes it pays. Ireland has lower corporate taxes than the United States.
Shire did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The case was investigated by the teams from the Department of Justice in Philadelphia and Chicago, along with other federal agencies.
The DOJ statement said the settlement will resolve allegations that Shire "violated the False Claims Act as a result of its marketing and promotion of several drugs," including "Adderall XR, Vyvanse, and Daytrana, which are approved for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Pentasa and Lialda, which are approved for the treatment of mild to moderate active ulcerative colitis."
In the statement, U.S. Attorney Zane Memeger said, "Marketing efforts that influence a doctor's independent judgment can undermine the doctor-patient relationship and shortchange the patient. Where children's medication is concerned, it can interfere with a parent's right to clear information regarding the risks to the safety and health of their child. Shire cooperated throughout this investigation and, in advance of this settlement, began to correct its marketing activities."
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