Rhode Island is set to receive over $27,000 after the maker of epilepsy treatment Keppra agreed to settle allegations it marketed the medication to treat migraine headaches in violation of U.S. drug laws.
State Attorney General Peter Kilmartin announced Rhode Island's portion of the multimillion-dollar settlement Friday. The money will go to the state's Medicaid program
The announcement comes a day after U.S. subsidiary of Belgian manufacturer UCB pleaded guilty in Washington to a misdemeanor tied to the misbranding and agreed to settle related lawsuits.
Prosecutors say UCB claimed studies showed Keppra was safe and could treat migraines, but neither disclosed that the company sponsored the studies nor that the company's own clinical trial failed to demonstrate effectiveness in treating migraines.