August 19, 2015
Carson City, NV – Today, Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt, along with the attorneys general of 48 other states and the District of Columbia announced a $71 million settlement with Amgen Inc., a pharmaceutical company. The agreement resolved allegations that the company unlawfully promoted the drugs Aranesp and Enbrel used to treat anemia and plaque psoriasis, respectively. A complaint was filed against Amgen for marketing the two drugs using false information regarding the effects of the drugs. As a result of this settlement, Nevada will receive $939,912.45.
“Large pharmaceutical companies have a responsibility to accurately promote their medications,” said Laxalt. “To do otherwise could jeopardize the health and well being of Nevada’s consumers. This settlement holds Amgen accountable for its products as well as for the harm to the individuals who use them.”
The complaint and consent judgment filed alleges that Amgen violated state consumer protection laws by:
- Promoting Aranesp on the label for dosing frequencies longer than the FDA approved label without competent and reliable scientific evidence;
- Promoting Aranesp for anemia caused by cancer without having FDA approval or having competent and reliable scientific evidence; and
- Promoting Enbrel for mild plaque psoriasis even though Enbrel is only approved by the FDA to treat chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
The settlement also requires Amgen to reform its marketing and promotional practices including making false or deceptive claims in promoting the drugs, or representing that the drugs have uses, benefits or qualities that they do not in fact have, among other things.
Other states participating in the settlement include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Chief Deputy JoAnn Gibbs of the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection represented Nevada in this matter.
For more details on this multi-state settlement, click here.
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