combine, conspire, confederate, and agree together and with each other to commit an offense against the United States…”
The incentive-based compensation system “allowed Pearlman to personally profit significantly from this illegal conspiracy to provide kickbacks in the form of payments to health care providers for conducting sham Speaker Programs,” the affidavit stated.
Speaker events are often organized and conducted by pharmaceutical sales reps to develop relationships with doctors with the goal of increasing customer loyalty and driving market share.
Pearlman and the salespeople he managed “used hundreds of speaker programs throughout Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island as a reward to induce health care providers to prescribe more and more of [Insys Therapeutics’] fentanyl spray,” according to the affidavit.
Author: Cesar Gamboa
Cesar Gamboa is a staff reporter and editor for Addiction Now covering topics ranging from legislation to scientific studies. He was previously a general assignment reporter for the Orange County Register. SoCal raised, lover of books, and avid mountain biker (when he wants to be). He can be reached at cesarg@addictionnow.com.
