Indivior Inc. and Indivior PLC have been hit with a federal indictment for their role in a nationwide scheme to increase prescriptions of Suboxone Film, an opioid drug used in the treatment of opioid addiction, according to the Department of Justice.
The indictment, which was returned by a federal grand jury in Abingdon, Virginia, alleges that Indivior obtained billions of dollars in revenue from Suboxone Film prescriptions by deceiving health care providers and health care benefit programs into believing that Suboxone Film was safer, less divertible, and less abusable than other opioid-addiction treatment drugs.
According to the indictment, Indivior also used a “Here to Help” program to connect opioid-addicted patients to doctors the company knew were prescribing opioids at high rates and in a clinically unwarranted manner. The program was touted as a resource for opioid-addicted patients, but in reality, it was used to induce physicians to write prescriptions for Suboxone Film.
The indictment alleges that Indivior executives and employees knew from statistical and numerous firsthand reports that some doctors in the Here to Help referral system were issuing prescriptions in a careless and clinically unwarranted manner.
The indictment further alleges that Indivior developed Suboxone Film around 2007 as a patent-protected alternative to the tablet form of Suboxone, which was then about to face generic drug competition. The primary ingredient in both Suboxone Film and tablets is buprenorphine, a highly potent opioid.
Indivior promoted Suboxone Film as safer and less-divertible than its tablet form, even though the company lacked any scientific evidence to support those claims. In particular, Indivior aggressively marketed Suboxone Film, without an established basis, as having a “lower risk of child exposure” and a “less divertible/abusable formulation.”
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio said, “The deadly opioid epidemic continues to devastate communities and families across our nation. The Department of Justice intends to hold accountable those who are in position to know the harm opioid abuse inflicts, but instead choose to profit illegally from the pain of others. Manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies, and doctors should all be on notice that they must follow the law and act responsibly.”
Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt added, “Opioid addiction is a national epidemic. The indictment alleges that, rather than marketing its opioid-addiction drug responsibly, Indivior promoted it with a disregard for the truth about its safety and despite known risks of diversion and abuse. The Department of Justice is committed to holding opioid manufacturers accountable for such unlawful conduct.”
Defendant/respondent: Indivior Inc. and Indivior PLC.
Criminal charges: Engaging in an illicit nationwide scheme to increase prescriptions of Suboxone Film.
City and state: Abingdon, Virginia.
Exact date: Not specified.
Sentence or outcome: Currently pending.
Dollar amounts: Billions of dollars in revenue obtained from Suboxone Film prescriptions.
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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