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Alkermes

Controversies

Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.

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  1. 2020

    Stafford family files wrongful-death suit against Alkermes over Vivitrol

    Lawsuit filed

    The parents of a man who died of an opioid overdose filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Alkermes. The suit alleges that Alkermes failed to warn of overdose risks after patients stop taking Vivitrol and relapse, and claims the medication is ineffective and deceptively marketed. Alkermes stated that it stands by Vivitrol's efficacy and safety and will vigorously defend the matter.

    Company response

    • Denial — Alkermes

      The company said in a statement that it stands by "the efficacy and safety of Vivitrol and will vigorously defend the matter.

    Source excerpt

    • The parents of a 26-year-old California man who died of an opioid overdose have sued the Waltham manufacturer of Vivitrol, the medication he took to treat his addiction, in a case that highlights the controversies surrounding the response to the nation’s opioid crisis.
    • Adam H. Weintraub, one of plaintiffs’ attorneys, said that as far as he knows this suit, filed in Superior Court in Los Angeles Jan. 31, is the first personal-injury lawsuit involving Vivitrol, the newest of three medications to treat opioid addiction.
    • The wrongful-death suit alleges Alkermes failed to warn of the high risk of overdose when patients stop taking Vivitrol and then relapse into opioid use. It also claims Vivitrol is ineffective and deceptively marketed.
    Source

  2. 2019

    Vivitrol marketing settlement

    The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Alkermes agreed to pay $125 million to resolve allegations involving the marketing of Vivitrol. The allegations included promotion for uses or in ways not supported by the product's approved labeling. The settlement did not include an admission of liability by the company.

    Source