Acquisition-giant Valeant Pharmaceuticals has received two federal subpoenas related to its pricing, distribution and patient support practices.
According to the NY Times, Canada-based Valeant said most of the material requested concerned the company’s patient assistance programs. Also included were requests related to distribution of the company’s products, information provided to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the company’s pricing decisions.
Given the recent political scrutiny faced by drugmakers regarding drug pricing, Valeant drew attention from some members of U.S. Congress after acquiring two older heart drugs, Isuprel and Nitropress, in February, and immediately increasing the drug prices by more than 500 percent and 200 percent.
Analysts suggested to Reuters that the federal prosecutors' inquiries could be politically motivated, with a financial settlement within two to three years as a likely outcome.