Florida is the third state in the last year to look into whether Sun Pharmaceuticals has been distributing samples of its drugs without proper permits, according to STAT.
Sun Pharma, based in Mumbai, India, is one of the world's largest generic drugmakers. In December, Florida's Division of Drugs, Devices and Cosmetics was alerted that the drugmaker may have been distributing drug samples without filing the needed paperwork.
The state of Washington received a complaint alleging Sun Pharma did the same thing in that state last October. And the same month, Sun Pharma signed a consent order with Alabama's Board of Pharmacy after officials found the drugmaker had shipped products with an expired permit for two years.
"With regard to the licensing in Florida, Sun has been, and continues to be, licensed to distribute prescription drugs with a permit pending for physician samples," a Sun Pharma spokesperson told STAT.
The drugmaker has faced dozens of product recalls and quality control problems raised by the FDA. Two Sun Pharma sales representatives also filed retaliation lawsuits against the drugmaker last year claiming they were fired for objecting to off-label marketing.
Sun Pharma has been trying to expand into brand-name drugs, specifically specialty ones, in the U.S. market.
Read the full article here.