Judge orders 2 units of Johnson & Johnson to pay more than $81 million for Topamax violations
By APFriday, May 21, 2010
Pharmaceutical firms sentenced on Topamax
BOSTON — A federal judge in Boston has ordered two subsidiaries of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to pay more than $81 million after pleading guilty to illegally promoting the epilepsy drug Topamax for psychiatric uses.
Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical LLC will pay a $6.14 million criminal fine after pleading guilty Friday to one count of misdemeanor violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act for promoting Topamax for unproved uses.
Its holding company, Titusville, N.J.-based Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., will pay $75.37 million to resolve civil allegations under the False Claims Act.
Prosecutors say OMJPI hired outside physicians to join sales representatives in visits to health care providers and to speak at meetings and dinners about prescribing Topamax for unproved uses.
The sentence resolves a probe that began in 2003.
