cGMP Violations Remain a Hot Topic under the False Claims Act
As the world’s largest purchaser of prescription drugs under Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Administration, and other government healthcare programs, the United States government has a vested interest in ensuring that prescription drugs are safe and effective.
Current Good Manufacturing Practice (“cGMP”) regulations outline the requirements that drug manufacturers must follow for the manufacture, processing, packing, and holding of a drug. The regulations, which are enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), provide for systems that assure proper design, monitoring, and control of manufacturing processes and facilities. Adherence to the cGMP regulations assures the identity, strength, quality, and purity of drug products by requiring that manufacturers of medications adequately control manufacturing operations.
If a company is not complying with cGMP regulations, any drug it makes is considered “adulterated” under the law. The government has taken the position that adulterated drugs, those whose strength materially differs from, or the purity or quality falls below, the strength, purity, or quality specified in the drug’s FDA-approved New Drug Application, the drug’s labeling, and/or the standards set forth in official compendium, are not eligible for payment by the government. Consequently, any claim for payment submitted for an adulterated drug may give rise to liability under the False Claims Act.
In October 2010, the Department of Justice announced its largest cGMP settlement to date, as SB Pharmco Puerto Rico – a subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline – pleaded guilty to the manufacture and distribution of adulterated drug products. The company settled the False Claims Act allegations for $750 million, resulting in a $96 million payment to the whistleblower in the case.
Most recently, at an ABA conference, the government affirmed its position that cGMP violations can give rise to violations of the False Claims Act, particularly if the resulting drug products are unsafe, ineffective, and/or substandard.
If you have knowledge of cGMP violations and would like to discuss the possibility of a whistleblower award under the False Claims Act, please contact our whistleblower attorneys today. Kenney & McCafferty will consult with you about your case, without obligation. All communications with Kenney & McCafferty attorneys regarding your case are confidential and protected by attorney-client privilege.
Tags: Adulterated drug, cGMP, cGMP violations, Good Manufacturing Practices, Healthcare Fraud, Medicaid fraud, medicare fraud, whistleblower
This entry was posted on Monday, June 11th, 2012 at 9:45 pm and is filed under False Claims Act. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
