Takeda Pharmaceuticals, U.S.A. Inc has agreed to $13,670,921 amid allegations of submitting false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programmes by paying kickbacks to healthcare providers to induce prescriptions of Trintellix, an anti-depressant medication that Takeda marketed and sold to treat major depressive disorder.

Assistant attorney general Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division noted that such conduct “can erode the trust that patients place in their healthcare providers and lead to higher drug costs for American taxpayers” in a statement on Thursday.

“This settlement demonstrates the continued commitment of my office to ensure that patients’ best interests remain paramount,” said U.S. attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “Prescribing decisions should not be influenced by drug companies’ payments or side perks made available to physicians.”

According to acting deputy inspector general for investigations Scott Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the alleged kickback schemes undermine the trust that patients place in their providers and federal health care programmes.

“This settlement underscores that HHS-OIG, together with our law enforcement partners, will investigate and hold accountable entities that attempt to disguise purported honoraria or other improper payments as legitimate compensation,” said Mr Lampert. “Decisions regarding patient care should never be influenced by extravagant meals or other inducements.”

Special agent in charge of the investigations, John Helsing, for the Department of Defence Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office, noted that “when companies use kickbacks to influence prescribing, they erode trust in healthcare providers, misuse federal healthcare funds, and put the health and readiness of our warfighters at risk”.