Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced that the state has joined a coalition of states and the federal government in a settlement with Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc., which paid $13.67 million plus interest to resolve allegations that it paid kickbacks to health care providers to prescribe the antidepressant Trintellix.

The settlement resolves allegations that from January 2014 to October 2020, Takeda paid speaker honoraria and meals at high-end restaurants to induce providers to prescribe Trintellix, which it marketed to treat major depressive disorder, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.

The states contend that Takeda selected certain providers for its Trintellix speaker bureau and gave them paid speaking opportunities, and that prescribers who attended multiple programs on the same topic gained no educational benefit.

The statute prohibits paying anything of value to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and other federal health care programs.

Attorney General Tong said: “Takeda paid illegal kickbacks to doctors to boost prescriptions of their drug, undermining trust in our healthcare system and abusing public funds. In coordination with our state and federal partners, we will continue to aggressively pursue companies who break the law to line their pockets.”

Of the total, $1,703,572 is allocated to participating states’ Medicaid programs. A National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units team, including representatives of the California, Florida, Illinois and New Jersey attorneys general offices, negotiated the settlement for the states.

For Connecticut, the settlement carries a $213,674 Medicaid portion, reflecting claims for an antidepressant covered by public health programs.