Johnson & Johnson Off Label Marketing Kickback Lawsuit Filed
The Massachusetts Attorney General has joined in a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson that claims the company paid out millions of dollars to get its anti-psychotic drugs prescribed in nursing homes. Anti-psychotic drugs may be prescribed “off-label” to treat dementia, as is done in many nursing homes, but companies are prohibited from marketing or promoting off-label uses of their products.
Attorney General Martha Coakley said the marketing scheme by Johnson & Johnson is “a significant health and safety issue.” The lawsuit accuses Johnson & Johnson of coupling with Omnicare, a drug provider to nursing homes, in a scheme to push nursing home physicians to prescribe their drugs, according to Kay Lazar, Boston Globe.