Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. said it will weigh its options
after an Arkansas jury ruled against the Johnson & Johnson Inc.
(JNJ) unit in a lawsuit over its antipsychotic drug Risperdal.
The company said it was disappointed after the jury determined
Tuesday that the company violated the Arkansas Medicaid Fraud False
Claims Act. A hearing will be held Wednesday to determine
penalties.
"Janssen firmly believes it did not violate the Arkansas
Medicaid Fraud False Claims Act or the Arkansas consumer fraud
statute," Janssen spokeswoman Teresa Mueller said in a statement.
"Among other concerns, we believe the dissemination of an
FDA-approved package insert did not constitute a violation of any
Arkansas law."
In January, J&J agreed to pay $158 million to settle a Texas
lawsuit alleging the company's improper marketing of Risperdal
caused the state's Medicaid program to overpay for the drug.
However, the company didn't admit any liability or fault in
settling the allegations.
Last year, a South Carolina judge ordered J&J to pay $327.1
million after a jury found J&J's Janssen unit violated the
state's unfair trade practice law in the marketing of Risperdal. In
Louisiana in 2010, a jury ordered J&J to pay $257.7 million in
a Risperdal case. J&J has appealed the cases.
-By Nathalie Tadena, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-3287;
nathalie.tadena@dowjones.com