Advanced Care Scripts Inc., $1.4 million

Elizabeth Shofner, Justin Brooks Articles, Nancy Gertner Articles, Reuben Guttman Articles, Successes, Traci Buschner Articles

United States of America ex rel. Paul Nee v. Biogen, Inc., et. al. District of Massachusetts.

GBB attorneys settled this qui tam suit against Advanced Care Scripts and Biogen, one of the worlds’ largest pharmaceutical companies. The complaint, filed by a whistleblower under the False Claims Act, alleged that Defendants used charitable organizations in a kickback scheme to pay the Medicare copays for multiple sclerosis drugs Avonex and Tysabri. Medicare subsequently paid the claims for these drugs, which can cost as much $80,000 per patient per year. 

Read more: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pharma-giant-and-speciality-pharmacy-settle-case-alleging-false-claims-violations-301195541.html?tc=eml_cleartime

Biogen Inc., $22 million

Elizabeth Shofner, Justin Brooks Articles, Nancy Gertner Articles, Reuben Guttman Articles, Successes, Traci Buschner Articles

United States of America ex rel. Paul Nee v. Biogen, Inc., et. al. District of Massachusetts.

GBB attorneys settled this qui tam suit against Advanced Care Scripts and Biogen, one of the worlds’ largest pharmaceutical companies. The complaint, filed by a whistleblower under the False Claims Act, alleged that Defendants used charitable organizations in a kickback scheme to pay the Medicare copays for multiple sclerosis drugs Avonex and Tysabri. Medicare subsequently paid the claims for these drugs, which can cost as much $80,000 per patient per year. 

Read more: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pharma-giant-and-speciality-pharmacy-settle-case-alleging-false-claims-violations-301195541.html?tc=eml_cleartime

Peer Review Doesn’t Apply in False Claims Act Suit

Dan Guttman Articles, Elizabeth Shofner, Justin Brooks Articles, Reuben Guttman Articles, Traci Buschner Articles, Whistleblower News

Massachusetts General Hospital could not assert the medical peer review privilege to block production of documents sought by a whistleblower in her False Claims Act suit over the hospital’s alleged double and triple booking of surgeries, a U.S. magistrate judge has ruled.

. . .

During discovery, Wollman (relator) moved to compel production of medical peer review records and communications. In response, MGH asserted the peer review privilege, which keeps reports and records of medical peer review committees confidential.

. . .

Wollman’s attorney, Reuben A. Guttman of Washington, D.C., hailed the decision as an important ruling under the False Claims Act and said it was consistent with black-letter law.

“The case cries out for transparency,” Guttman added. “It is about cheating the government through the gross compromise of patient relationships and critical health care standards.”

Source: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Read full article here.

Geissler v. Sterling

Dr. Caroline Poplin Articles, Elizabeth Shofner, Nancy Gertner Articles, Paul Zwier Articles, Reuben Guttman Articles, Successes

District of South Carolina.

GBB lawyers contributed to this class action lawsuit, filed against the Department of Correction, alleging that South Carolina prisoners recieved inadequate testing and treatment for hepatitis C (HCV). The complaint accuses DOC director Bryan Sterling of “deliberate indifference” by neglecting to implement regular testing and effective treatment protocols, because it would have incurred a significant cost to the DOC budget. The original plaintiffs, three inmates in SC state prison, argued that the DOC had violated their 8th Amendment Rights by failing to provide proper treatment. Further, the South Carolina DOC written policy states that HCV is not tested for “except under limited circumstances,” which runs contrary to CDC guidelines.

Free Virtual Seminar by Online Courtroom Project and NITA

Reuben Guttman Articles, Whistleblower Articles, Whistleblower Resources

As courts around the country have struggled to continue operations in the face of the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, each state and the federal courts have issued their own set of guidelines to try and resume trials. However, each jurisdiction, and each judge has also implemented their own set of practices, given their resources, staffing, budget, and judgement. While most of these national, regional, and individual practices have been conducted on a trial and error basis, the goal of this conference is to provide practical recommendations on procedures, resources, and skills for both courts and attorneys who are looking to conduct jury trials in this challenging time.

Dates: November 13, and 20th, 2020

This conference is free of charge. Attendees are encouraged to donate to a designated charity to assist underserved communities gain greater access to technology and the internet.

CLE credit will not be provided for this summit.

Reuben Guttman, from Guttman, Buschner & Brooks, PLLC, will be presenting a panel discussion on Implication for Post-Covid Litigation and Trials.

For Agenda information for this two-day free seminar, visit https://www.nita.org/summit-about?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTURreE56bG1OV1ZtTldOaiIsInQiOiJHait4UTcyR1VsNkZwR2M5cWNEMlEwYVwvS25XSTE2dUtsMGNpZmlYdE44aERFQUZudCtFWEIxQUNPXC9ocjJpZHlWa2JKOWZ2OGt4bWxjY2NwVUNyaktXU1BQZ2pUNEZmdmp1c0s1MUN3NXV1c0lnMHQ4ZVwvRFNtRFJtbzhcL3BLZmcifQ%3D%3D

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