Rogues Gallery: DOJ Lists the Worst-Behaved Drug Companies of 2010

Congratulations, Allergan (AGN): The company paid the biggest settlement to the Department of Justice's healthcare fraud and abuse program in 2010, $600 million for the unapproved, "off-label" promotion of Botox for headaches. 2010 was a banner year for bad behavior in the drug business, according to the DOJ. There were:

• $2.5 billion in health care fraud judgments and settlements.
• 1,116 new criminal health care fraud investigations.
• 2,095 potential defendants in those cases.
• 1,787 ongoing criminal health care fraud investigations pending.
• 2,977 potential defendants in those cases.
• 488 cases with criminal charges filed.
• 931 actual defendants in those cases.
• 726 defendants convicted of health care fraud-related crimes

Here are the 16 worst-behaved drug and medical device companies in 2010, ranked by the size of the settlements or awards extracted by the DOJ:

1. Allergan, $600 million, mismarketing of Botox
2. AstraZeneca, $520 million, mismarketing of Seroquel
3. Novartis, $422.5 million, mismarketing of Trileptal and others
4. Forest Labs, $313 million, mismarketing of Lovothroid and Celexa
5. Mylan/UDL Labs/AZ and Johnson & Johnson, $124 million, underpaid rebates to Medicaid
6. Teva, $100 million, inflated prices
7. J&J, $81 million, mismarketing of Topamax
8. Novartis, $72.5 million, mismarketing of TOBI for cystic fibrosis
9. Alpharma, $42.5 million, mismarketing of Kadian
10. KV Pharmaceutical, $27.5 million, oversized pills
11. Biovail, $24.7 million, mismarketing of Cardizem
12. Boston Scientific, $22 million, kickbacks on defibrillators
13. Cardinal Health and Bindley Western, $5.5 million, overcharging the DOD
14. Spectranetics Corporation, $4.9 million, marketing unapproved medical devices
15. Atricure, $3.7 million, mismarketing surgical devices
16. Sandoz, $3.5 million, fraudulent reimbursement for nitroglycerin tablets

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• Jail Time for CEOs: Stryker's "Silly Putty" Scandal Might Put Execs in the Slammer
• InterMune CEO Faces 20 Years in Prison for Writing a Press Release
• $5B: The Cost to the Taxpayer of Drug Company Pricing Fraud