Abbott investigation
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts subpoenaed Abbott Laboratories in June to retrieve information on the firm's sales and marketing of its biliary stent product (Xpert), Abbott disclosed in a July 25 filing with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. FDA has publicly scolded companies including Abbott, Boston Scientific and C.R. Bard for marketing the stents, intended for the bile duct, for use to treat peripheral vascular diseases (1"The Gray Sheet" March 19, 2007, p. 10). The Department of Justice is now investigating companies to determine if the marketing activities might have risen to the level of violating civil or criminal laws including the Federal False Claims Act, the Food and Drug Cosmetic Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute