10/01/2010 // New York, NY, US // Jonathan C. Reiter // NYC injury lawyer Jonathan C. Reiter
New York, NY (NYC Injury Lawyer News)—Forest Pharmaceuticals Inc. (FPI) is expected to pay more than $313 million in connection with the company’s apparent history of deceptive practices. The St. Louis-based firm, which is a subsidiary of New York-based Forest Laboratories Inc., has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to a slew of charges related to the drugs Levothroid, Celexa and Lexapro. According to information provided by the Associated Press, the allegations include, “obstruction of justice, distribution of the then-unapproved drug Levothroid and illegal promotion of Celexa for use in treating children and adolescents suffering from depression.”
According to the Justice Department, Forest Pharmaceuticals agreed to settle allegations that it allowed false claims concerning Lexapro, Levothroid and Celexa to be sent to federal health care programs. The pharmaceutical company is also expected to plead guilty to charges that it promoted Celexa for pediatric use. The company allegedly ordered its sale representatives to endorse the anti-depressant drug for pediatric use when conducting sales calls to physicians. Court filings stated Forest Pharmaceuticals hired individuals to wrongfully inform pediatric specialists of the benefits of Celexa for children and teenagers. The company apparently did the same when promoting Lexapro. Court filings also claim the company “Concealed information from federal drug regulators about its testing of Levothroid… Distributed Levothroid in quantities far exceeding amounts that federal drug regulators permitted… Failed to advise the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that Levothroid no longer qualified for coverage by government health care programs, causing false claims to be submitted to those programs.”
Leading New York City pharmaceutical injury attorney Jonathan C. Reiter states if you or a loved one has been injured or killed due to negligence on the part of a drug manufacturer, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and damages. With more than thirty years of experience litigating the multifaceted claims of negligence victims and their families, contacting NYC injury lawyer Jonathan C. Reiter with regard to your particular pharmaceutical liability, injury or wrongful death case may help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
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