Biovail Pharmaceuticals, LLC, has pled guilty to conspiracy and kickback charges and has been sentenced to pay a criminal fine of more than $22 million. These charges concern various actions by the New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company and its employees to carry out a program in which Biovaile paid or cause to be paid up to $1,000 to thousands of physicians and others in order to induce them to prescribe or recommend the drug Cardizem, L.A.

BioVail Pharmaceuticals will also pay more than $2.4 million to the United States to resolve allegations that this conduct caused false claims to be submitted to the United States, according to a September 14, 2009 press release by the Massachusetts Department of Justice.

For the full press release, go to: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/ma/Press%20Office%20-%20Press%20Release%20Files/Sept2009/BiovailPlea.html.

For more information about qui tam law and health care fraud, contact Nolan and Auerbach, PA .