By Jackie
The billionaire founder behind the drug company that hired a former exotic dancer to help bribe doctors was found guilty in a nationwide scheme to prescribe a dangerous opioid.
John Kapoor, the founder and former CEO of Insys Therapeutics, was convicted Thursday in Boston federal court, along with four other top executives, for conspiring to bribe physicians to write prescriptions for a highly addictive fentanyl spray.
Kapoor, 75, and the other execs from the Arizona-based company were accused of providing kickbacks to doctors, as well as directing other outlandish tactics to encourage sales of the drug Subsys, which is meant for cancer patients with severe pain.
The trial — which started in January — revealed the company allegedly paid doctors for sham speaking events in exchange for the doctors pushing prescriptions to their patients — some of whom didn’t have cancer.
Prosecutors allege the company also enlisted a former stripper, Sunrise Lee, as a regional sales manager — despite her lack of pharmaceutical experience — because executives believed she could help sway doctors.
A former employee who took the stand in January claimed Lee gave a lap dance to a doctor that the company was courting while they were at a Chicago nightclub.
Jurors also watched a bizarre rap video that was taped to encourage employees to convince doctors to prescribe higher doses of the drug.
The jury deliberated for 15 days before reaching a verdict in the case, finding the five executives guilty of conspiracy charges of racketeering.
The other conspirators convicted are former national director of sales Richard M. Simon, regional sales directors Lee and Joseph A. Rowan and former Vice President of Managed Markets Michael J. Gurry.
