Iowa is among more than three dozen states that will be receiving millions of dollars from a settlement announced Thursday with Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Attorneys General accused Janssen of improperly marketing several antipsychotic drugs, including Risperdal.
Bill Brauch, with the Iowa Attorney General’s office, says the company will pay the states $181 million. “This is by a large amount the largest settlement, in dollars, of any of the cases we’ve settled in the last few years,” Brauch said. Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson, was accused of marketing Risperdal for purposes that weren’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
“They were advertising it…for uses that weren’t permitted,” Brauch said. “They tried to promote it for use for children who had Attention Deficit Disorder or for seniors to treat Alzheimers. There isn’t evidence that the product is effective for those uses.”
Iowa’s share of the settlement is $3.35 million. Brauch says much of the money will be used to fund future cases and enforcement efforts involving consumer protection. The settlement between the states and Janssen ends a four-year investigation.
Brauch says Janssen used unethical practices to increase the use of Risperdal, placing some patients in jeopardy.