Insys Therapeutics was an American specialty pharmaceutical company based in Chandler, Arizona. Its main product was Subsys, a sublingual liquid form of the drug fentanyl. Fentanyl is an extremely fast-acting and powerful opioid used to relieve peaks of pain in cancer patients.Founded in 1990, the company and its executives are facing legal issues related to the opioid crisis and marketing activities by the company, including accusations of bribes and misleading advertising. Several company executives were convicted of racketeering in a jury trial rendered in May 2019.Insys filed for bankruptcy in 2019. The filing came just 10 days after the company agreed to pay $225 million to settle separate criminal and civil cases brought by the U.S. Justice Department. Products
In addition to Subsys, Insys Therapeutics marketed Syndros, a synthetic THC product, and was working toward approval of other cannabis derivatives. Despite delta-9 THC being classified as a Schedule I substance by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Syndros was classified as a Schedule II substance used in adults to treat loss of appetite (anorexia) in people with AIDS who have lost weight, as well as nausea and vomiting caused by anti-cancer medicines (chemotherapy) in people whose nausea and vomiting have not improved with usual anti-nausea medicines. Syndros was the first and only FDA-approved liquid THC formulation, which allows for fast absorption, flexible dosing, and a potential solution for patients who may prefer a liquid medication.
"In October 2017, Insys founder John Kapoor was arrested in Arizona and charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback law related to Insys effort to secure prescriptions of Subsys. Kapoor is also alleged to have conspired to defraud health insurance providers.In December 2018, former Insys CEO Michael Babich agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of mail fraud, in connection to bribes paid to doctors and their assistants. In April 2019, Alec Burlakoff, the former vice president of sales for Insys, agreed to pay the State of Arizona $9.5 million in a civil settlement with Attorney General Mark Brnovich for his role in the alleged bribery campaign of doctors to prescribe Insys products to patients. Brnovich had accused Burlakoff of operating a program that paid doctors lucrative "speaking fees" in order to encourage them to prescribe more Subsys, Insys fentanyl-based pain medication. Burlakoff is required to pay the state $5.2 million from the proceeds he made from the operation, as well as $4.3 million in civil penalties. As part of the settlement, Burlakoff agreed to testify against Insys in ongoing litigation and will be permanently banned from advertising or selling any pharmaceutical drugs in Arizona.On May 2, 2019, a federal jury found top executives of Insys Therapeutics guilty of racketeering charges.