Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Pfizer and drug maker Tris Pharma for fraud, alleging they provided “adulterated” attention deficit disorder medications to underprivileged children in the Lone Star State.
The lawsuit claims that Pfizer knowingly distributed the powerful pediatric ADHD drug Quillivant to children receiving Medicaid “despite knowing that Quillivant was adulterated due to poor manufacturing practices,” and despite the drug’s pattern of failing Routine quality control testing.
When patients’ families complained that the drug was not working, Pfizer and Tris “manipulated the Quillivant tests to hide poor manufacturing practices and defraud the Texas Medicaid program.”
As a result, thousands of Texas children received an “adulterated Schedule II controlled dangerous substance,” Paxton claims.
The lawsuit accuses Pfizer and Tris of defrauding the Texas Medicaid program. Getty Images Paxton has declared war on “pharmaceutical companies that violate the public trust and harm the people of Texas.”
Initially, Pfizer blamed the children and their caregivers, suggesting they did not properly shake the medication before using it.
“I am appalled by the dishonesty we uncovered in this investigation,” Paxton said in a statement.
“Pfizer and Tris intentionally concealed and failed to disclose problems with Quillivant receiving taxpayer-funded benefits through Texas Medicaid, defrauding the state and endangering children.”
Paxton accuses the two pharmaceutical companies of “endangering children.” AP
A separate lawsuit alleges that Tris and its CEO, Ketan Mehta, overstated the effectiveness of another ADHD medication in children, Dyanavel, and thereby defrauded the Texas Medicaid program.
“Tris directed its sales representatives to send false and misleading messages about Dyanavel to doctors in Texas, including Medicaid doctors,” the lawsuit alleges. “Sales representatives falsely told doctors that Dyanavel acted significantly faster than other medications and provided other unproven benefits to pediatric patients.”
Paxton has declared war on “pharmaceutical companies that violate the public trust and harm the people of Texas. [They] “They will be brought to justice with the full force of the law.”
In each lawsuit, unsealed Monday, Texas seeks more than $1 million in damages, fines and the return of all Medicaid funds.
The legal action is the latest salvo in the Attorney General’s campaign against Pfizer, which he claims overstated the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccines.
Last May, an investigation into Pfizer and Moderna began.
Both vaccine makers have strongly denied the attorney general’s claims.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn