Recently the Attorney General’s office in Maryland brought legal charges against the pharmaceutical company, Insys maker of the killer opioid, Subsys (Fentanyl) for endangering the lives of consumers in off-label marketing their billion dollar drug. These charges lend themselves to ask — why did the maker of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma unleash an epidemic of death and addiction throughout the country for almost two decades with virtually no concern or charges by any Attorney General as the body bag count mounted and we continue to lose a generation of our children? Why did no federal agency consider charging Purdue Pharma under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) in 2007 when they were charged in Federal Court in Virginia with criminally marketing OxyContin — pleaded guilty — and are convicted felons?
Marianne Skolek Perez Global News Centre
(MYRTLE BEACH) “RICO” is often thought of as a law designed to combat the Mafia. While that is how the law was first primarily used and intended, it has been applied in cases involving organizations that few people would mistake for the Mafia, including Major League Baseball, the Key West Police Department and the Catholic Church. RICO creates criminal and civil penalties for members of organizations that engage in patterns of criminal activity. Why wasn’t Purdue Pharma charged under RICO?
Here is the link to the charges filed against Insys Therapeutics by the Maryland Attorney General’s office http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/News%20Documents/insysSOC.pdf
My article written for Global News Centre giving credit to attorney, Richard J. Hollawell of N.J. and PA for exposing Insys Therapeutics with criminally marketing their killer opioid, Subsys (Fentanyl) off label resulting in thousands of deaths and the arrest of the President of Insys is shown here:
March 19, 2018
Insys Therapeutics and Purdue Pharma “war criminals” responsible for opioid deaths and addictions!
President Trump calls for extermination of drug dealers responsible for causing deaths. Should he include the pharmaceutical executives who knowingly marketed their dangerous opioids criminally which resulted in tens of thousands of deaths?
Marianne Skolek Perez Global News Centre
Last night, NBC Nightly News televised a segment on Insys Therapeutics and their criminal marketing of Subsys (Fentanyl) which has resulted in a landmark outcome — the arrest of CEO’s of the disgraced pharmaceutical company. Here is a link to the NBC Nightly News broadcast https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/drug-company-bribed-doctors-to-prescribe-opioid-federal-indictment-says-1189045827628
Is it an injustice that in 2007, Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin was charged in federal court and pleaded guilty to criminally marketing their dangerous and highly addictive opioid yet there were no arrests? Their three CEO’s pictured within this article Michael Friedman, President, Howard Udell, Chief Counsel and Paul Goldenheim, MD received fines but continued making profits for Purdue Pharma bringing them from approximately $2 billion to currently $34 billion as the prescription opioid epidemic raged out of control.
John Kapoor, President of Insys
Why was there no outrage over the tens of thousands of deaths as the floodgates were left open by Purdue Pharma for Insys? How was John Kapoor, President of Insys allowed to perpetuate exactly what Purdue Pharma did with absolutely no oversight as they criminally marketed Subsys (Fentanyl) identically to OxyContin’s promotion by Purdue Pharma? Where was the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Justice (DOJ) and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) while history was repeating itself with the criminal marketing of a dangerous opioid devastating every state in the country?
One attorney in New Jersey by the name of Richard (Rick) Hollawell had the guts to take on Insys multi-billionaire John Kapoor and was successful in not only having Kapoor arrested, but also other CEO’s of Insys. I wrote about this brave attorney (link below) who brought some justice to a family who lost their daughter to a lethal prescription of Subsys for back pain. Her name was Sarah Fuller and because of Kapoor’s focus on profit rather than human life, she died at 32 years old.
U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri conducted an investigation into Insys and released a report and audio implicating the company in deceitful marketing of a very dangerous opioid. Employees claiming to be from doctor’s offices used a toll-free phone number — later traced to Insys — to call insurance providers and give false information about patients to increase profits in prescribing Subsys to unsuspecting patients — who did not have cancer such as Sarah Fuller. Rick Hollawell and Sarah’s mother traveled to Missouri to testify in front of Senator McCaskill about the criminal activity of Insys resulting in the arrest of executives of Insys.
President Trump cites Singapore’s tough policy and low ratio of drug addiction and death as a prototype for combating the U.S. raging epidemic. In Singapore, tough laws and punishments deter supply and availability of drugs to its citizens. Financial profiting by criminals in the flow of drugs is met with penalties including capital punishment. Message sent to drug traffickers is strong and meaningful. Human life takes precedent over financial profiting — and yes capital punishment is the taking of human life, but criminals need to fear for their lives.
In the U.S., we have “harm reduction advocates” not “harm elimination advocates” who hold rallies in our nation’s capital promoting an “opioid march” pandering to both pain patients and families who have suffered the loss of loved ones to addiction and death. These same harm reduction advocates and their “experts” condone establishing “safe injection sites” throughout the country in the dumbing down of America. (Link to my article on the “Dumbing Down of America” shown below). Is there outrage that we are losing a generation of our kids with no push for much needed education, prevention, treatment and recovery — not by Internet on-line course takers, but by medical and psychological therapists? Recovery is critical and not by “Jim Jones” facilities bilking government agencies and insurance companies while the life styles of the proprietors of the facilities flourish. Why does the focus on Suboxone and Naloxone increase, along with earned pharma revenue, with no decrease in addiction and deaths?
Currently the most prestigious law firms in the country as well as Attorneys General are lining up to sue the pharmaceutical companies responsible for the prescription opioid epidemic. Will these same high profile attorneys have the guts that one attorney named Rick Hollawell of N.J. had and send a strong message to criminal pharma CEO’s — “I’ll see you in court and my goal is to have you arrested, incarcerated and your pharmaceutical business destroyed as you have destroyed human life?”
It’s time to call out the calvary — the Department of Justice — and demand they prosecute criminal pharmaceutical companies responsible for the prescription opioid epidemic. The profiteers have made enough money off the destruction of American families.
My “Dumbing Down of America” article http://www.globalnewscentre.com/the-dumbing-down-of-america-in-the-prescription-opioid-epidemic/#sthash.ZA9XahYl.dpbs
Rick Hollawell article http://www.globalnewscentre.com/attorneys-are-becoming-the-heroes-in-the-prescription-opioid-epidemic-ravaging-the-us/#sthash.ww50EiD3.dpbs
Marianne Skolek Perez, Consultant
Prescription Opioid Epidemic
908-285-1232
Global News Centre’s Marianne Skolek, is an Investigative Reporter who focuses on the Prescription Opioid/Heroin Epidemic in the U.S. and Canada. In particular, Marianne has covered the criminal marketing of OxyContin going back to 1999 and continuing to the present.
In 2002, Marianne lost her daughter, Jill to prescribed OxyContin which her physician referred to as “mobility in a bottle.” It was, in fact, death in a bottle. After doing extensive research on the maker of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma, Marianne began working with the Department of Justice in Virginia in their criminal investigation into Purdue Pharma and in July 2007 was asked by the U.S. Attorney John Brownlee prosecuting the case to testify against the three CEO’s of Purdue Pharma, Michael Friedman, Paul Goldenheim, MD and Howard Udell, Chief Counsel. The CEO’s pleaded guilty to misleading the medical profession about the dangers of OxyContin. Marianne also testified against Purdue Pharma at a Judiciary Hearing of the U.S. Senate in July 2007.
In addition, a dangerous and highly addictive opioid named Zohydro has been approved by the FDA against their Advisory Committee’s advice and Marianne continues to alert Attorneys General, Senators and Congressmen as to the FDA’s irresponsibility in the out of control prescription opioid/heroin epidemic killing and addicting in the tens of thousands each year. Zohydro has been referred to as “heroin in a capsule” and its lowest dosage (10mg) contains twice as much hydrocodone as found in a Vicodin pill. The highest single dose of Zohydro contains as much hydrocodone as 5 to 10 tablets of Vicodin or Lortab. Zohydro mixed with alcohol can be fatal and has no abuse deterrent built in which will make it easy to crush and deliver a fatal dose of the opioid.
Currently Marianne has been instrumental in calling for the termination of Margaret Hamburg, MD, Commissioner of the FDA as well as Bob A. Rappaport, MD and Douglas Throckmorton, MD for their lack of commitment to safeguarding the American public against the prescription opioid/heroin epidemic. Marianne’s research, writing and contact with government agencies and attorneys has also exposed the heavily funded pain foundations set up by the pharmaceutical industry and their paid physician spokespersons who convinced the medical boards in 50 states and Canada that dangerous opioids such as OxyContin were less likely to be addictive. These physicians — in particular Scott Fishman, MD, J. David Haddox, DDS, MD, Perry Fine, MD, Lynn R. Webster, MD, Russell Portenoy, MD also downplayed the risks of addictive opioids in books as authors. These books are still available for sale and promoted to the medical profession.
Here are links to Marianne’s involvement in exposing the national conspiracy of the prescription opioid/heroin epidemic, the FDA, the pharmaceutical industry, their pain foundations and paid physician spokespersons.
http://www.salem-news.com/by_author.php?reporter=Marianne%20Skolek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmPG1VjD61U&list=UUWoHUEr4ZAbQOfIqtOArjgg&index=6&feature=plcp
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=855537227796352&set=vb.658186307531446&type=2&theater
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