Allergan to Pay $600 Million to Settle Claims for Off-Label Botox Use | Legal News | News Ticker

Botox treatments have become extremely popular in recent years, mostly because of its perceived benefits and because so many Hollywood figures have used this form of treatment to look younger. As the use of Botox continued to expand, one company, Allergan, began to heavily market its Botox product for certain ‘off-label’ uses in customers. Now comes word that the company will pay $600 million to settle claims against it filed by consumers and the government in response to the scrutiny that’s been applied to the company in the wake of the marketing campaign and sales of Botox for off-label uses.

Botox Uses and Allergan’s Off-Label Uses

Generally, Botox is used for cosmetic purposes and it’s administered in the form of injections. These injections allow those who receive them to retain a younger look and to have the appearance of fuller features, including the lips. Botox products have generated billions of dollars in sales as a result of this cosmetic use, and Allergan has admitted to working towards more use of Botox for off-label purposes, which means that Botox was being used for purposes aside from those that were approved by the FDA. Examples of the off-label uses of Botox put into place by Allergan include:

• Headaches
• General pain
• Spasticity
• Juvenile cerebral palsy

None of these uses were ever approved by the FDA, which is one of the reasons that Allergan faces such a substantial payment.

The Breakdown of the Costs to Allergan

The $600 million that is being paid by Allergan is broken down as follows:

• $375 million in payment for a misdemeanor ‘misbranding’ charge levied against Allergan for promoting off-label uses of Botox
• $225 million in a settlement with the Department of Justice for violation of the False Claims Act

This does not mean that those who have suffered from the use of off-label Botox do not have legal rights. If you or someone you love has been harmed by Botox, contact the defective drugs lawyers at Phillips Law Group today to schedule a free initial consultation.