Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. is paying $95 million ”“ including $17 million to a whistleblower ”“ to settle federal allegations it improperly marketed multiple drugs and paid kickbacks to doctors for prescribing the medicines.
Ridgefield is Boehringer Ingelheim”™s U.S. headquarters, where the company is among Fairfield County”™s biggest employers with more than 2,500 employees at last report and a facility expansion underway.
The U.S. Department of Justice allegations center on Boehringer Ingelheim”™s marketing of the stroke-prevention drug Aggrenox; the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) drugs Atrovent and Combivent; and the hypertension drug Micardis.
DOJ stated Boehreinger Ingelheim promoted each of the drugs for uses that were not medically accepted and were not covered by federal health care programs.
The settlement resolves a False Claims Act lawsuit filed in the District of Maryland by Robert Heiden, a former sales representative for Boehringer Ingelheim, who received $17 million as a reward for bringing DOJ’s attention to the company’s activities.
