ZEE Business
ZEE BUSINESS
हिंदी में पढ़ें  हिंदी में पढ़ें
Live TV
Live TV
  • Home
  • Personal Finance
    • PPF
    • Mutual Funds
    • Income tax
    • EPFO
    • Income Tax Calculator
    • Personal Loan Calculator
    • Car Loan Calculator
    • Home Loan Calculator
    • SIP calculator
    • SWP Calculator
    • MF Returns Calculator
    • Lumpsum Calculator
  • India
    • Companies
    • Property
    • Startups
    • Uidai
  • Economy
    • Aviation
  • Tech
    • Mobiles
    • Apps
  • Auto
    • Cars
    • Bikes
  • Markets
    • Commodities
    • Currency
  • Railways
  • World
    • Economy
    • Politics
    • Markets
  • videos
  • photos
  • MSME Summit
  • Trending News
    • Viral News
    • Travel
    • People
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
  • More ...
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
BREAKING NEWS
  • National Highway construction slows to 20.43 km per day in first 4 months of current fiscal
  • Independence Day Special: How investment habits, preferences of people have changed over the past 75 years
  • BMW M4 Competition Coupé 50 Jahre M Edition: Price and features | Photos
  • Financial Independence for Women: top investment tips for the other half to make them independent moneywise
Read in App
Business News » Companies News

Insys founder ran bribe scheme to push opioid: U.S. prosecutor

Insys Therapeutics Inc`s one-time billionaire founder directed a vast scheme to bribe doctors to prescribe an addictive fentanyl spray as opioid addiction was spiraling into a public health crisis, a U.S. prosecutor said on Monday.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • whatapp
  • View in App
Insys founder ran bribe scheme to push opioid: U.S. prosecutor
John Kapoor, Insys Therapeutics Inc`s former chairman arrives at the federal courthouse in Boston. Image source: Reuters

Insys Therapeutics Inc`s one-time billionaire founder directed a vast scheme to bribe doctors to prescribe an addictive fentanyl spray as opioid addiction was spiraling into a public health crisis, a U.S. prosecutor said on Monday.

John Kapoor, the company`s former chairman, and four colleagues are the first painkiller manufacturer executives to face trial over conduct authorities say contributed to the U.S. opioid epidemic, which officials said killed more than 47,000 people in 2017.

Kapoor, who was also Insys` chief executive from 2015 to 2017, turned the company into a "criminal enterprise" that paid doctors millions of dollars to push its drug, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lazarus told jurors in Boston federal court.

"John Kapoor and his co-defendants paid doctors to abandon their medical duties," Lazarus said.

Kapoor, 75, and former Insys executives and managers Michael Gurry, Richard Simon, Sunrise Lee and Joseph Rowan have pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy.

Defense lawyers will deliver their own opening statements later on Monday.

Kapoor`s 2017 arrest came the same day U.S. President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. In 2017, a record 47,600 people died of opioid-related overdoses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Two top former executives - Michael Babich, Insys` CEO from 2011 to 2015, and Alec Burlakoff, its ex-vice president of sales - have become government witnesses after pleading guilty to carrying out the scheme at Kapoor`s direction.

Lazarus told jurors that from 2012 to 2015, Kapoor and his-co-defendants conspired to pay doctors bribes in exchange for prescribing Subsys, an under-the-tongue fentanyl spray approved only for use in managing severe pain in cancer patients.

Fentanyl is an opioid 100 times stronger than morphine. 

Insys paid doctors as much as $275,000 in one case to participate in speaker programs ostensibly meant to educate medical professionals about Subsys but that were actually poorly attended sham events, Lazarus said.

The scheme led doctors to write medically unnecessary prescriptions for Subsys to patients, many of whom did not have cancer, Lazarus said.

He said Kapoor also participated in a scheme to defraud insurers into paying for the expensive drug.

Insys in August said it would pay at least $150 million to resolve a Justice Department probe related to its marketing of Subsys, and that it has taken steps to ensure it operates legally going forward.

Get Latest Business News, Stock Market Updates and Videos; Check your tax outgo through Income Tax Calculator and save money through our Personal Finance coverage. Check Business Breaking News Live on Zee Business Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe on YouTube.

TAGS:
John Kapoor
Written By: Reuters
Updated: Tue, Jan 29, 2019
08:54 am
Reuters
RELATED NEWS
Five Indian-Americans among richest people in US: Forbes Five Indian-Americans among richest people in US: Forbes

LATEST NEWS

Raju Srivastava health update: What hospital, family members said

Piramal Enterprises demerger gets NCLT approval; what it means for the two entities

Never Have I Ever season 3 released in India on this OTT platform

FIIs buy shares worth Rs 3,040 cr on August 12, highest this month; net purchase at Rs 14,841.66 crore

Ensure loan recovery agents do not resort to harassment while collecting debts: RBI tells companies

South Central Railways gets first train with Vistadome coach: What you need to know about features of this coach

31 new malls coming soon in India: Set to spawn massive jobs, employment opportunities

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: ITC launches integrated initiatives to support Har Ghar Tiranga campaign to mark 75 years of Independence

Har Ghar Tiranga a huge success: Over 20 cr national flags made available to people since the launch of campaign: Officials

One Piece Film Red release date in India announced?

  • India News
  • World News
  • Companies News
  • Market News
  • Personal Finance News
  • Technology News
  • Automobile News
  • Small Business News
  • Income Tax Calculator
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Author
  • Rss Feed
  • Advertise with us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal Disclaimer

Latest Trending Updates

  • EPFO
  • Budget 2020
  • Income Tax Return
  • Auto Expo 2020
  • Home Loan
  • Business News

Trending Topics

  • Income Tax
  • income Tax Calculator
  • 7th Pay Commission
  • Reserve Bank of India
  • GST
  • Latest Business News

Follow us on

zeebiz
zeebiz

Partner Sites

  • Zee News
  • Hindi News
  • Marathi News
  • Bengali News
  • Tamil News
  • Malayalam News
  • Gujarati News
  • Telugu News
  • Kannada News
  • DNA
  • WION
© 2022. India Dot Com Private Limited. All Rights Reserved.
LIVE TV