Drugmaker Insys Therapeutics has admitted to bribing physicians to prescribe fentanyl sublingual – its opioid painkiller – and will pay a $225 million settlement to the federal government. Additionally, five of the company's top leaders have been found guilty of racketeering conspiracy by a federal jury.
"For years, Insys engaged in prolonged, illegal conduct that prioritized its profits over the health of the thousands of patients who relied on it," said U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling in a statement. "Today, the company is being held responsible."
The settlement is one of many efforts by the federal government to hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable for its role in the country's devastating opioid epidemic.
Source: NPR, June 5, 2019.