AGO News Releases With Topic: Prescription Drugs

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today filed a lawsuit accusing OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma of fueling the opioid epidemic in Washington state, embarking on a massive deceptive marketing campaign and convincing doctors and the public that their drugs are effective for treating chronic pain and have a low risk of addiction, contrary to overwhelming evidence. This deceptive marketing resulted in the deaths of Washingtonians and devastation to Washington families.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson recovered nearly $750,000 in Medicaid reimbursement this week from pharmaceutical company Celgene Corporation for promoting medications to treat conditions they were not approved for, including certain types of cancer. The company is also accused of paying kickbacks to doctors for prescribing the medications and helping them change billing codes to ensure Medicaid would pay for their use.

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson will hold a two-day summit in June on the opioid epidemic, convening law enforcement, medical professionals, prosecutors and public health experts.

PORTLAND, Ore. — This week, the Attorney General’s Office will defend rules requiring pharmacies to fill lawful prescriptions for time-sensitive medications.

OLYMPIA—Washington has joined with other states and the federal government in a $500 million dollar settlement to resolve civil and criminal allegations against Ranbaxy, a generic pharmaceutical manufacturer based in Gurgaon, India. The company is alleged to have introduced adulterated—or tainted— drugs into interstate commerce, resulting in false or fraudulent claims being submitted to Washington’s Medicaid Program.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today Washington has joined a national settlement against the drug manufacturer Amgen, Inc., resolving allegations that Amgen violated certain state false claims acts by reporting inflated pricing data for its prescription drugs Aranesp, Enbrel, Epogen, Neulasta, Neupogen, and Sensipar.

OLYMPIA – Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced that Washington joined with other states and the federal government to reach an agreement with Amgen, Inc., settling allegations that the drug-maker illegally marketed several drugs.  

State attorneys general reach deal over Zyvox and Lyrica SEATTLE – Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced that he and 33 other state attorneys general reached a $42.9 million settlement with Pfizer Inc. to resolve allegations that the company unlawfully promoted its drugs, Zyvox and Lyrica.  

 SEATTLE – Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced that he and 36 other Attorneys General reached a record $181 million dollar settlement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson. McKenna and his colleagues allege that Janssen improperly marketed the antipsychotic drugs Risperdal, Risperdal Consta, Risperdal M-Tab and Invega.

GlaxoSmithKline settles drug marketing and pricing claims OLYMPIA –Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced Washington state’s share of the largest healthcare fraud settlement in U.S. history.