Takeda Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay $13.6 million to settle allegations that it paid kickbacks to doctors to prescribe its antidepressant Trintellix, resulting in violations of federal law by causing Medicaid to pay false claims, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
According to the settlement details, from January 2014 to October 2020, Takeda allegedly offered speaking fees and covered meals at high-end restaurants to persuade physicians to prescribe Trintellix. The Department of Justice further alleged that certain doctors who attended multiple programs on the same topic—receiving meals and drinks—did not derive any educational benefit from these events.
Eric Grant, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California, emphasized the importance of patient-centered prescribing decisions in a statement:
“This settlement demonstrates the continued commitment of my office to ensure that patients’ best interests remain paramount. Prescribing decisions should not be influenced by drug companies’ payments or side perks made available to physicians.”
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