Pfizer, Tris Pharma Pay $41.5m in Texas ADHD Drug Settlement
Pfizer and Tris Pharma reached a $41.5 million settlement with Texas after being accused of falsifying quality control tests for Quillivant XR, an ADHD medication, and defrauding the state’s Medicaid program. The suit claimed that between 2012 and 2018, tests showed Quillivant XR sometimes failed to dissolve in the body properly, resulting in ineffective treatment for children. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the companies provided adulterated drugs and changed test results to secure Medicaid reimbursements. Both Pfizer and Tris Pharma deny any wrongdoing, stating there was no impact on patient safety and still stand by Quillivant’s quality. Whistleblower Tarik Ahmed, Tris Pharma’s technology chief, made the initial complaint that led to the lawsuit. Pfizer stopped marketing Quillivant XR in 2018 after Tris Pharma purchased the product.