Top Executives of Insys, an Opioid Company, Are Found Guilty of Racketeering – The New York Times

“This could be the tip of the iceberg as far as drug company misconduct is concerned,” he said.

During the 10-week trial, federal prosecutors had detailed Insys’s audacious marketing plan — which included paying doctors for sham educational talks and luring others with lap dances — to spur sales of Subsys, an under-the-tongue spray approved to treat patients with cancer.

Company executives were accused of paying doctors to write prescriptions for a much wider pool of patients than the drug was approved for, and of misleading insurance companies so they would cover the potent and pricey medication. With the drug’s sales soaring, Insys became a darling of Wall Street, generating annual sales at one point of more than $300 million.

In addition to Mr. Kapoor, the other executives found guilty were Richard M. Simon, the former national director of sales; Sunrise Lee and Joseph A. Rowan, both former regional sales directors; and Michael J. Gurry, former vice president of managed markets. Lawyers for the defendants either did not comment or said they planned to appeal.

The former chief executive, Michael L. Babich, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy and mail fraud charges.

Beth Wilkinson, a lawyer for Dr. Kapoor, said she and her client were disappointed in the verdict. “Four weeks of jury deliberations confirm that this was far from an open-and-shut case,” she said in a statement. “We will continue the fight to clear Dr. Kapoor’s name.”