In a compulsory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Johnson & Johnson indicates an “agreement in principle” with federal prosecutors to “resolve” “criminal charges pursuant to a single misdemeanor violation” of federal law. News reports suggest the case may result in a payment of up to $2.2 billion.
Of further interest:
Public disclosure to the SEC? Sure. How about a jury? (Philadelphia Inquirer)
I’d love to see a complete worldwide total for pharma penalties from governments, and big class actions, worldwide, rolled into one multibillion dollar figure. I want to know.
*Not that corporate pharma could ever in a hundred years destroy as many lives as biopsychiatry could with its DSM and generic drugs alone.
Report comment
It seems great that companies are fined, but for them it is just the cost of doing business. They will recover their losses by increasing the price of their drugs, so who pays in the end? Taxpayers and patients. Personal jail time would be the deterrent. One executive got 30 days because the pills were too big! Seems like with a bit of creativity it should be possible to get an executive for manslaughter.
Report comment