Florida recently announced a multi-million dollar settlement with Gilead Sciences for the improper promotion of HIV drugs.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that Florida, along with other states and the federal government, secured a settlement agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. over allegations of the company paying kickbacks to providers to improperly promote HIV/AIDS drugs.
“Big Pharma corporations that put profits ahead of patients by unlawfully promoting drugs will be held accountable,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Florida’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit works tirelessly to protect vulnerable patients and the taxpayer dollars that fund these systems.”
Gilead is a large California-based pharmaceutical company, which among other things, developed, manufactured, and sold drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The company allegedly incentivized providers to improperly promote its HIV drugs, Stribild, Genvoya, Complera, Odefsey, Descovy, and Biktarvy.
Gilead was accused of offering and paying remuneration in the form of payments, meals, and travel expenses to health care practitioners who spoke at or attended Gilead speaker events to encourage them to prescribe Gilead HIV drugs between January 2011 and November 2017.
Florida’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit found that these unlawful actions caused false claims to be submitted to and paid by the Florida Medicaid program for Gilead HIV drugs. As part of the settlement, Gilead also made extensive factual admissions regarding its conduct.
The company will pay out $3,033,238.12 to the Florida Medicaid program.
