PHOENIX – Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced today that his office (AGO) obtained a consent judgment against Dr. John Kapoor, the founder and former president of the Chandler-based opioid manufacturer Insys Therapeutics, Inc. The AGO investigated Insys, its executives, and three Arizona doctors for conspiring to create a scheme in which the opioid manufacturer paid physicians lucrative “speaker fees” in exchange for writing prescriptions for its flagship fentanyl drug, Subsys.
“We have put an end to the unlawful practices of Insys and its executives, who preyed upon patients' trust in their doctors to earn millions of dollars while fanning the flames of opioid addiction,” said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. “We will hold anyone who takes advantage of vulnerable Arizonans accountable.”
Today’s announcement is the latest development in the multi-defendant lawsuit filed by the AGO related to Insys’ illegal and unethical opioid sales practices. In 2020, a federal court sentenced Dr. Kapoor to more than five years in prison, and he has paid tens of millions of dollars in restitution. Today’s consent judgment requires the additional payment of up to $2 million to the State of Arizona and precludes Dr. Kapoor from ever engaging in the sale or advertisement of prescription drugs or medical devices in Arizona.
AGO Actions
Today’s announcement is the latest action General Brnovich has taken to combat the opioid epidemic and hold bad actors accountable.
- Attorney General Mark Brnovich Announces Finalized Consent Judgments in $26 Billion Opioid Investigation
- $13 Million Settlement with McKinsey & Company for Role in ‘Turbocharging’ Opioid Epidemic
- $9.5 Million Settlement with Former VP of Sales for Insys
- AG Brnovich Reaches Settlement with Two Arizona Doctors Regarding Insys Opioid Prescriptions
- Attorney General Brnovich Obtains Over $400,000 from Scottsdale Doctor for Opioid Prescriptions
- AG Brnovich Files Consumer Fraud Lawsuit Against Insys
- AG Brnovich Obtains $2 Million from Former CEO of Opioid Manufacturer
- AGO Takes Action Against Purdue Pharma
- Former Cancer Center Employee Indicted and Accused of Opioid Prescription Fraud
- 11 Indicted in Opioid Ring
The AGO offers a free opioid awareness and prevention program for the public and trains faith leaders and law enforcement to administer Narcan, a life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication. The faith leader training is part of a toolkit created by the AGO to help churches and places of worship better serve the needs of parishioners who are battling addiction.
Senior Litigation Counsel Mitchell Allee and Laura Dilweg along with Consumer Litigation Unit Chief Matthew du Mee handled this consequential case.
If you believe you have experienced or witnessed consumer fraud, you can file a consumer complaint by visiting the Attorney General’s website. If you need a complaint form sent to you, contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at (800) 352-8431.
Read the consent judgment here.