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JACKSON, Miss.--Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood’s office also says he delivered a check for $35 million to state lawmakers Monday. Hood explained in a press release that $16 million of that comes from settlements with Microsoft and Facility Construction Management. Most of the other $19 million comes from settlements with several pharmaceutical companies. Some of that involved Medicaid fraud.
Details from that press release:
As part of the Average Wholesale Price (AWP) litigation, the $35 million returned to the State includes more than $12 million from a settlement with Barr Laboratories, Inc., IVAX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , Sicor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA. Inc. The settlement addressed Medicaid Fraud Claims and Consumer Protection Violations involving pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Also included in the $35 million returned today is $5.9 million from two other AWP settlements; one with Alpharma USPD, Inc. and Purepac Pharmaceutical Co., and another with Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc and Par Pharmaceutical, Inc. In addition to the AWP recoveries, the amount returned to the State includes approximately $840,000 as part of a consumer settlement with Abbott Laboratories involving allegations of unfair and deceptive practices in the promotion and sale of the drug Depakote.
The remainder of the $35 million, approximately $16 million, comes from previously announced settlements with Microsoft and Facility Construction Management, as well as funds from the nationwide mortgage settlement.
“These settlements are part of our ongoing commitment to protect the taxpayers of Mississippi,” said Attorney General Hood. “We hope to return even more in the future.” To date, the Attorney General has recovered more than $650 million in taxpayer dollars.
