By Ayomide Otitoju
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday announced a $41.5 million settlement with pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Tris Pharma over allegations that the companies adulterated an ADHD medication and defrauded the state’s Medicaid program.
The agreement resolves a 2023 lawsuit accusing the companies of manipulating quality control tests for Quillivant XR, a liquid medication used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. According to Paxton, tests conducted between 2012 and 2018 showed the drug frequently failed to dissolve properly in the body, rendering it ineffective.
“Pfizer and Tris Pharma provided adulterated drugs to children for years and changed test results to obtain taxpayer-funded Medicaid reimbursements,” Paxton said. “Under my watch, Big Pharma will not escape justice for lying about the effectiveness of its drugs.”
Both companies denied wrongdoing.
In a statement, New York-based Pfizer said it found “no impact on the safety of the product” and reaffirmed its commitment to patient well-being. New Jersey-based Tris Pharma gave a similar response, insisting it stands by the “quality of our Quillivant, now and in the past.”
Quillivant XR was originally developed by NextWave Pharmaceuticals, which Pfizer acquired in 2012. Tris Pharma manufactured the drug for Pfizer until 2018, when it purchased the product line. Pfizer confirmed it stopped marketing the medication that same year.
The case originated from a whistleblower complaint filed by Tarik Ahmed, Tris Pharma’s former technology chief from 2013 to 2017.
