Good morning, everyone, and how are you today? We are doing just fine, thank you, especially since a sunny sky and moderate temperatures are enveloping the Pharmalot campus. The official mascots are bounding about the grounds as we rummage through the pantry and fire up the coffee kettle for a cup of stimulation. Our choice today, for those tracking this sort of thing, is pistachio creme. Please feel free to join us. Meanwhile, we have also assembled the latest menu of tidbits for you to peruse as you begin your journey, which we hope is meaningful and productive. On that note, we wish you luck and, of course, remember to keep in touch. Our inbox is always open. …
Pfizer and Tris Pharma have agreed to pay $41.5 million to settle allegations by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that they provided an ADHD medicine to children on Medicaid while knowing about “flawed” manufacturing practices, STAT notes. The companies were accused of altering testing methods between 2012 and 2018 to ensure the drug, known as Quillivant XR, satisfied regulatory hurdles, according to a lawsuit that was filed two years ago. In doing so, the companies allegedly violated federal and state laws. Tris Pharma manufactured the medication for Pfizer. The lawsuit contended that Pfizer was aware of the problems with the drug, such as a failure to dissolve properly in the body, but misrepresented to state Medicaid officials that Quillivant was properly manufactured and complied with federal and state law. Meanwhile, Paxton claimed many families complained the medicine did not work.
The founder and a former top doctor at Done Global were convicted by a San Francisco jury of conspiring to distribute Adderall and other stimulants, in the first federal prosecution of alleged illegal drug distribution by a telehealth company, Reuters writes. Ruthia He, who founded Done, and David Brody were each found guilty on two conspiracy counts and four counts of distributing controlled substances in their alleged $100 million fraud scheme. He was also convicted on an obstruction charge. Prosecutors said He and Done used social media to entice people to pay monthly subscription fees for “easy access” to more than 40 million pills including Adderall, which treats attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Many prescriptions were not medically necessary, and hurt legitimate patients by exacerbating a nationwide Adderall shortage in 2022, according to prosecutors.
This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts.
Already have an account? Log in
To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+.
