Drugs

Former Drug Sales Rep Pleads Guilty

Former pharmaceutical sales representative Vincent Tornari of Linwood, NJ, pled guilty 3/14 to one count of an indictment charging him with conspiring to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud. A Department of Justice statement says Tornari and other conspirators who were healthcare providers and wrote fraudulent prescriptions learned that certain medications made by compounding pharmacies reimbursed for up to thousands of dollars for an individual’s one-month supply. The statement says the conspirators learned that certain insurance plans covered the medications.

Tornari’s company had an agreement with a Pennsylvania compounding pharmacy to receive 50% of the insurance reimbursement for prescriptions that were arranged by him and those working with him, the department says.

The department says the fraudulent prescriptions cost insurers over $541,000 and Tornari personally received more than $359,000 as part of the scheme. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

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Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome