Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Anthem Sues Insys Therapeutics Over Reimbursement 'Scheme' For Painkiller
Stat: Anthem Sues Insys Over A 'Creative' Scheme To Win Reimbursement For Its Painkiller
Anthem, which is one of the nation’s largest health insurers, has filed a lawsuit accusing Insys Therapeutics of engaging in a “creative, illegal, and fraudulent” scheme to obtain reimbursement for its Subsys painkiller, adding a new layer of legal challenges for the beleaguered drug maker. In its lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday in federal court in Arizona, Anthem accused the company of bribing doctors with “sham” speaker fees to write prescriptions for unapproved uses for its drug, which contains fentanyl and carries a high risk of dependency. We asked Insys for comment and will update you accordingly. (Silverman, 7/14)
Arizona Republic: Chandler's Insys Therapeutics Sued By Insurers Over Opioid Marketing
Insys Therapeutics of Chandler, already facing numerous legal challenges over the alleged improper marketing of a powerful opioid drug, was hit this week with a lawsuit from health insurer Anthem Inc. The lawsuit came the same week that two of the company's former sales representatives — one of them the wife of the company's former CEO — pleaded guilty to arranging kickbacks for medical professionals. (Wiles, 7/14)
