Eli Lilly Owes $193 Million in Whistleblower’s Drug Fraud Suit

The damages award from a False Claims Act trial against Eli Lilly and Co. has been trebled to $183 million, and the company must also pay almost $10 million in civil penalties for overcharging the federal government for pharmaceuticals, a district court said.

A jury in August 2022 found Eli Lilly liable for $61 million for making false claims about pricing under Medicaid’s drug rebate program. Whistleblower Ronald J. Streck said Eli Lilly initiated retroactive price increases on its drugs and failed to pay Medicaid rebates on the new, higher prices.

Eli Lilly didn’t dispute that the FCA calls for ...