Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday announced a $41.5 million settlement with US pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Tris Pharma over allegations of drug adulteration and Medicaid fraud involving an ADHD medication.
The agreement resolves a 2023 lawsuit accusing the firms of manipulating quality-control tests for Quillivant XR, a liquid drug used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The state alleged that between 2012 and 2018, the medication often failed to dissolve properly in the body, making it ineffective.
Paxton accused the companies of providing “adulterated drugs to children for years” and altering test results to secure Medicaid reimbursements. He vowed that pharmaceutical manufacturers “will not escape justice for lying about the effectiveness of their drugs.”
Both Pfizer and Tris Pharma denied any wrongdoing, insisting they found no safety concerns with the product. Pfizer said it remained committed to patient safety and maintained that its review showed no impact on users. Tris Pharma similarly defended the quality and benefits of Quillivant.
Quillivant XR was originally developed by NextWave Pharmaceuticals before Pfizer acquired the company in 2012. Tris Pharma manufactured the drug for Pfizer until 2018, when it purchased the product line. Pfizer confirmed it stopped marketing Quillivant that same year.
The lawsuit stemmed from a whistleblower complaint filed by Tarik Ahmed, Tris Pharma’s former technology chief, who served in the role from 2013 to 2017.
