The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has requested documents from devicemaker Medtronic about “payments and other things of value” given to physicians, physician groups, hospitals and medical practices, according to a Security and Exchange Commission document filed Tuesday. The letter includes a specific request for information on sales of Medtronic’s cardiac-therapy and stent devices, as well as details of the company’s relationship with an unidentified customer.
Received in late October, the letter was the fourth such request the Minneapolis-based devicemaker has received since September from a variety of sources investigating whether consulting payments, meals and other items provided to physicians constitute a form of inducement. The U.S. Senate Finance Committee in September sent a request for information about Medtronic’s financial relationships with physicians. The company has also received requests from the SEC and Justice Department regarding overseas sales practices. -- by Shawn Rhea
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