Besse Medical Settles for $1.67 Million Over Anti-Kickback and False Claims Allegations

By Thomas Sullivan Last updated Jan 2, 2025

ASD Specialty Healthcare LLC, trading as Besse Medical, has reached a $1.67 million settlement to resolve allegations of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Besse Medical, a Carrollton, Texas-based distributor, specializes in supplying specialty medical and pharmaceutical products across the nation. The company is notably involved in distributing ophthalmological injections for treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), a leading cause of vision loss among older adults.

The allegations against Besse Medical involved the provision of free inventory management systems to retina practices. These systems were allegedly offered to incentivize the practices to purchase specific drugs, particularly those used in the treatment of eye conditions, from Besse Medical. According to the DOJ, such practices could potentially influence purchasing decisions and unfairly affect competition, which is a violation of federal healthcare laws designed to prevent kickbacks and ensure fair market practices.

The whistleblower is a former employee of a pharmaceutical company and the action against Besse Medical is tied to large cases involving companies involved promoting wet AMD treatments to ophthalmology practices.

These developments underscore the importance of adherence to compliance regulations within the pharmaceutical sector and the need to pay attention to a companies distributors practices. They serve as a reminder of the legal implications of marketing strategies and the critical need for transparency in interactions with healthcare providers to maintain the integrity of federal healthcare programs.