Pharmaceutical Company Agrees to Pay $17.5 Million to Resolve Allegations of Kickbacks to Medicare Patients and Physicians

The Justice Department announced today that US WorldMeds LLC (USWM) has agreed to pay $17.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 et seq., by paying kickbacks to patients and physicians to improperly induce prescriptions of its drugs, Apokyn® and Myobloc®. USWM is a pharmaceutical manufacturer headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.  

“Pharmaceutical companies and other healthcare providers that pay kickbacks to patients and physicians to improperly induce drug prescriptions drive up the costs of health care and divert critical resources from the Medicare program,” said U.S. Attorney John H. Durham for the District of Connecticut. “This case originated with the filing of whistleblower lawsuits currently pending in the District of Connecticut, and the whistleblowers will be handsomely rewarded for exposing this scheme. We encourage all individuals who are aware of fraud against the government to come forward. The Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to pursue companies and providers that defraud federal health care programs.” read more »

Boeing Continues To Defend 737 Max Amid Criticism From Experts And Shareholders

Boeing's problems continue to mount in the aftermath of two 737 Max jet crashes. The company faces a new shareholder lawsuit and fresh criticism from airlines.

Boeing is updating its 737 Max planes in the aftermath of two deadly crashes, but the aircraft maker also maintains the planes were fine to begin with. That is not sitting well with some people. read more »

NASA Says Metals Fraud Caused $700 Million Satellite Failure

Sapa Profiles falsified thousands of aluminum test results

The bad parts caused two NASA satellite launches to fail

News of the satellite failures comes a week after Norsk Hydro ASA, the current parent company of Sapa, agreed to pay $46 million to NASA, the Department of Defense and others to resolve criminal charges and civil claims related to the fraud, which took place from 1996 to 2015.

The company admitted that employees had faked test results related to the metal’s strength and reliability under pressure. Sapa Profiles, now known as Hydro Extrusion Portland Inc., also agreed to plead guilty to one count of mail fraud and is barred from U.S. federal government contracting. read more »