Medical-device maker C.R. Bard Inc. agreed to pay $48.3 million to resolve allegations that the company illegally rewarded physicians and other customers for using its radiation seeds in the treatment of prostate cancer.
From 1998 to 2006, according to the U.S. Justice Department, Bard paid kickbacks in the form of grants, rebates, conference fees, marketing assistance and free medical equipment to induce customers to buy its brachytherapy seeds. In addition to the settlement payment, the agreement calls for Bard to enter a five-year corporate integrity agreement with HHS' inspector general's office.