New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office has filed a $75 million lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company founded by a University at Buffalo alumnus.
The lawsuit accuses Insys Therapeutics Inc. of deceptively marketing a powerful fentanyl-based pain medication that's meant for cancer patients, to a much wider set of patients.
It also alleges the company "engaged in a pattern of deceptive and illegal conduct by downplaying the drug’s risks of addiction, bribing doctors to prescribe the drug, and lying to healthcare providers to skirt their authorization process."
The AG's office is not only seeking penalties, but is also going after all the money the company made through its alleged misconduct.
"Insys showed a wanton disregard for the law and the lives of New Yorkers and we will hold them accountable," said Schneiderman.
In November, Insys founder John Kapoor pleaded not guilty to allegations he led a conspiracy to bribe doctors to prescribe the drug to people who didn't need it.
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.
