Chandler-based Insys Therapeutics has a new contract to license and sell the same product that's been the subject of federal investigation and indictments in the U.S.
Insys will license its fentanyl-based product, Subsys, to a company based in Dubai. The license makes Subsys available to adult cancer patients suffering episodes of breakthrough pain in Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern nations. Subsys is a pharmaceutical-grade opioid nasal spray that uses fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 100 times stronger than heroin.
Insys has gained notoriety in the U.S. after federal investigations claimed the company over-prescribed Subsys and used aggressive sales tactics with doctors.
In late April, a former Insys Therapeutics sales representative was sentenced to six months of home confinement after admitting that she participated in a prescription fraud scheme involving the drug. Seven former executives, including the billionaire founder of Insys, John Kapoor, have been charged with racketeering in federal court.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to correct the location of Insys Therapeutics.
