Allergan to pay $600 million settle US Botox probe;drops off-label suit
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Officials at the US Department of Justice report that drug maker Allergan has agreed to plead guilty to a single misdemeanour charge and pay $600 million to resolve a years-long federal probe involving allegations of unlawful, off-label promotion of Botox (botulinum toxin A). By settling, the company has disappointed others in the industry, as it also agreed to drop a lawsuit filed against the FDA last year challenging a government rule that prohibited it from disseminating truthful information to physicians to assist them in evaluating risks and benefits of Botox for certain off-label uses. Allergan had wanted a declaration that such rules are unconstitutional, claiming it has a chilling effect on protected speech.
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