The founder of a pharmaceutical company accused of leading a conspiracy to bribe doctors to prescribe a powerful opioid pain medication for people who didn't need it has pleaded not guilty.
Attorney Brian Kelly told reporters after John Kapoor's arraignment in Boston's federal courthouse on Thursday that the Insys Therapeutics Inc. founder is going to fight the case.
Kapoor and other Insys executives are accused of offering kickbacks to doctors to write large numbers of prescriptions for a fentanyl-based pain medication that's meant for cancer patients.
Kapoor was arrested in Arizona last month and posted a $1 million bail.
Kapoor is an alumni of the University at Buffalo and has donated a considerable amount of money to the University. UB's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is named after him and his late wife Editha.
The university released the following statement in response to Kapoor's not guilty plea.
The university is well aware of the very serious criminal allegations against Dr. Kapoor, as well as the devastating effects of opioid addiction in this country.
We are currently engaged in a thoughtful and careful review of policies pertaining to named buildings at the university, and we will continue to closely monitor new developments in the legal proceedings.
The abuse of opioid medications is a severe national problem, one that the University at Buffalo is committed to combating everyday through our faculty research, patient care and community outreach, and the training of highly skilled, compassionate health care professionals.
Kelly urged the judge to get rid of the requirement that Kapoor wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. Prosecutors say he's a flight risk.
The judge didn't immediately rule on the matter Thursday.
