US attorneys have announced that Boston Scientific has agreed to pay a $22 million relating to charges that its Guidant medical device division paid doctors to use their cardiac devices. The US Department of Justice, which coordinated the investigation, found that in 2003 and 2004 Guidant targeted cardiologists who were using competitors’ medical devices and offered to pay them between $1,000 and $1,500 to participate in studies designed to increase Guidant sales of company pacemakers and defibrillators.
“This important settlement emphasizes the government’s continued efforts to assure accountability and transparency in the health care industry,” said Lewis Morris, chief counsel for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in a statement.
Last month, Boston Scientfic announced that it would pay $296 million as well as plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge connected to a defibrillator recall in 2005.
Boston Scientific purchased Guidant in 2006. The agreement does not include any admission of guilt from the medical device company. However, the settlement does require that the medical device company disclose on its website any payments to doctors and healthcare professionals.
Last month, Boston Scientific agreed to pay $296 million and plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges in connection with a 2005 defibrillator recall which sparked the federal probed into Boston Scientific’s marketing practices.