Former Pharmaceutical CEO Arrested For Bribing Doctors to Push Opioids

ola olugbemi | October 27, 2017
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Federal prosecutors arrested John Kapoor, the founder and former CEO of the pharmaceutical company, Insys Therapeutics, on the same day that President Trump gave a speech declaring opioid addiction a "public health emergency."

On Thursday, President Trump stated that his administration was looking into bringing major lawsuits against “bad actors” in the opioid epidemic, and it appears that he meant it.

Prosecutors charged Kapoor with conspiring to bribe doctors to push his company’s signature drug, Subsys, to patients that the drug was not intended for.

Subsys transmits the powerful narcotic fentanyl in spray form, allowing the user to ingest the drug orally, making for fast and very powerful pain relief.

NPR reported that while Subsys is an efficient way to cure pain-related illnesses, the drug is supposed to only be used for treating pain associated with cancer. However, Kapoor and other top executives in the company allegedly bribed doctors to push the drug onto a large number of their patients who didn't need it.

U.S. Attorney William D. Weinreb believed that Kapoor’s arrest represents the Trump administration’s commitment to combatting the opioid crisis. He stated:

Mr. Kapoor and his company stand accused of bribing doctors to overprescribe a potent opioid and committing fraud on insurance companies solely for profit. Today's arrest and charges reflect our ongoing efforts to attack the opioid crisis from all angles.

Kapoor is facing up to 25 years in federal prison.

USA Today reported that the U.S. has seen an increase in opioid-related deaths due to findings that other types of drugs, such as heroin, have been laced with fentanyl. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is responsible for killing around 55 Americans each day.

Of course, liberal critics have accused the Trump administration of offering no money to fight the opioid epidemic.

Thankfully, Kapoor’s quick arrest shows that President Trump and his administration are attacking the real culprits of the opioid crisis head-on.

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