A Map to the Road Ahead: The Significance of Recent Verdicts in Off-Label Cases
On July 20, a jury in Massachusetts convicted former Acclarent executives William Facteau and Patrick Fabian of 10 misdemeanor counts of misbranding and adulteration based on alleged off-label promotion of the Stratus sinus spacing device. They were acquitted of 14 related felony charges, but they have vowed to fight the misdemeanor convictions in future motions and appeals. The Facteau verdict contrasts with the clean sweep obtained by Vascular Solutions and its CEO, Howard Root, last February, when a Texas jury acquitted them of all counts of misbranding and conspiracy for allegedly promoting the Vari-Lase varicose vein device off-label. The two cases are different in significant respects, which may account for the disparate results. But they also bear many similarities, which provide a road map for medical device and pharma manufacturers to future off-label prosecutions in the wake of recent First Amendment precedents.
