News-At-A-Glance: Louisiana Supreme Court Reverses $330 Million Judgment

Johnson & Johnson and it subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals were pleased to hear the results of the Jan. 28 ruling that overturned the large judgment against them based on allegations that they violated Louisiana’s Medical Assistance Programs Integrity Law (MAPIL) by misrepresenting the potential risks and side effects of the anti-psychotic drug Risperdal through off-label statements. Even though J&J had complied with the Food and Drug Administration’s instructions to issue letters to providers and amend its product labeling, the Louisiana attorney general brought the suit. In its dismissal of the suit, the high court said it found no evidence that any defendant made or attempted to make a fraudulent claim for payment against the MAPIL program. The reversal relieves J&J of the penalty that consisted of a $258 million fine, $70 million in attorneys’ fees, and $3 million in costs.