Administrative Law Judge Affirms 15-Year Exclusion for Purdue Pharma Execs in OxyContin Case

The HHS’ Inspector General has announced that an administrative law judge upheld its earlier exclusion from federal health programs of three former corporate executives with Purdue Frederick, the manufacturer of painkiller OxyContin.

In 2007 former Purdue Frederick Chief Operating Officer and later CEO Michael Friedman, Chief Scientific Officer Paul Goldenheim, MD, and General Counsel Howard Udell pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor misbranding of OxyContin, while Purdue Frederick pled guilty to a felony count of the same charge and was excluded for 25 years from billing federal health programs.

Administrative Law Judge Carolyn Cozad Hughes affirmed the inspector general’s April 2008 15-year exclusion for failing to prevent misbranding and fraudulent distribution of the controversial painkiller. The three appealed the exclusions.

Purdue Frederick is affiliated with Stamford, Conn.-based Purdue Pharma, but both are privately held. Purdue Pharma and Purdue Frederick paid a $600 million civil and criminal settlement and signed a five-year corporate integrity agreement in May 2007. 

Attempts to reach Purdue Pharma officials for comment at deadline were unsuccessful.

To read the OIG release about the OxyContin case.

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