Politicsunited statesDrugsDrake

Pharma Execs Made A Rap Video In Which They Danced With A Giant Bottle Of Fentanyl Spray

Do you have a copy of this video? Please get in touch.
Open Image Modal
By 

Senior Justice Reporter, HuffPost

|
Open Image Modal
Stringer . / Reuters

WASHINGTON ― Pharmaceutical sales representatives selling an opioid-based drug 50 times more powerful than heroin filmed a company-made rap video in which they danced with a giant bottle of their deadly fentanyl spray, a federal grand jury alleged in an indictment unsealed this week.

The grand jury alleged that “prominent” sales reps at Insys Therapeutics Inc. appeared in a 2015 music video that used a song by rapper A$AP Rocky, which was played at the company’s national sales meeting that year. The anecdote was mentioned in an indictment unsealed this week against John Kapoor, the 74-year-old billionaire founder and majority owner of Insys Therapeutics Inc., which alleges that the company engaged in a nationwide conspiracy involving bribing doctors to prescribe the fentanyl-based medication.

“Throughout the video, Company employees danced with a life size, 1600 mcg bottle of the Fentanyl Spray, the largest dosage of the drug available for sale in the United States,” the superseding indictment alleged. The video ended with the company’s vice president of sales removing the Fentanyl Spray costume, revealing his identity.

The vice president of sales, Alec Burlakoff, was previously indicted back in December. Burlakoff has been accused of trying to boost drug sales by controversial means before. According to the Southern Investigative Reporting Foundation, he was fired from Eli Lilly in 2003 for his role in mailing unsolicited samples of Prozac in an attempt to increase slumping sales. (Burlakoff sued the company after his departure, claiming he received permission from management.)

Open Image Modal
Court records

Court documents didn’t say which A$AP Rocky song was used in the video, but the indictment documents strongly suggested it could be the 2012 song “Fuckin’ Problems,” which featured Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar. The lyrics were changed to refer to titration, the process of “increasing the strength of the prescription until the patient reached the adequate dosage strength,” as described in court documents. 

“I love titration, and that’s not a problem!” company employees allegedly rapped in the video titled “Great by Choice.”

An anonymous user on a message board for pharma employees mentioned the video in a 2015 post, and said it won a company prize. “The company actually rewarded them for great by choice. Increase that dose - Mo Money, Mo Money, Mo Money,” the user wrote. “That video does show we care more about profit than patients.” 

A lawyer for company declined to offer additional comment after indictment.

The 74-page superseding indictment unsealed on Thursday alleges that Kapoor and six other officials engaged in a racketeering conspiracy to convince doctors to write prescriptions for the expensive drug. The fentanyl spray was intended for cancer patients who were “already tolerant to opioid therapy,” according to the indictment. To boost sales, the company came up with a “Speaker Program” in which they gave doctors kickbacks for prescribing their medication.

So far, we haven’t been able to find a copy of the video online, and a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Massachusetts told us the video was not available because it hadn’t been filed in court. We’d still like to see it. If you have a copy, please email ryan.reilly@huffpost.com or contact us on Signal at 202-527-9261.

Support HuffPost

At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.

Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.

Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your will go a long way.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go

27 Reasons Why U.S. Shouldn't Lead War On Drugs
Because Most Americans Are Unenthusiastic About It(01 of27)
Open Image Modal
Only 7 percent of Americans think the United States is winning the war on drugs, and few Americans are interested in throwing down more money to try to win, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released in 2012. (credit:(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images))
Because The U.S. Won't Control The Flow Of Guns Into Latin America(02 of27)
Open Image Modal
Mexican authorities seized almost 70,000 weapons of U.S. origin from 2007 to 2011. In 2004, the U.S. Congress declined to renew a 10-year ban on the sale of assault weapons. They quickly became the guns of choice for Mexican drug cartels. Some 60,000 people have died in Mexico since President Felipe Calderón launched a military assault on the cartels in 2006. (credit:AP)
Because The United States Leads The Hemisphere In Drug Consumption(03 of27)
Open Image Modal
Americans have the highest rate of illegal drug consumption in the world, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. (credit:AP)
Because The U.S. Ignores Latin American Calls For A Rethinking Of Drug Policy(04 of27)
Open Image Modal
Several current and former Latin American presidents, like Fernando Henrique Cardoso, have urged the United States to rethink its failed war on drugs, to no avail. (credit:Getty Images / Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former president of Brazil and chair of The Global Commission on Drug Policy, speaks at a press conference June 2, 2011 in New York City to launch a new report that describes the drug war as a failure and calls fo)
Because Of The Fast And Furious Scandal(05 of27)
Open Image Modal
In an attempt to track guns as they moved across the U.S.-Mexico border, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms allowed smugglers to purchase weapons. The ATF lost track of the guns and they wound up in the hands of drug cartels -- even as far south as Colombia. (credit:AP)
Because American Politicians Refuse To Candidly Lead A Debate On Reforming Our Laws(06 of27)
Open Image Modal
Though the subject of marijuana legalization regularly ranks among the most popular at the digital town halls President Obama takes part in, he declines to address the issue or give it a thoughtful answer. Incidentally, a younger Obama supported marijuana decriminalization and a rethinking of the drug war. (credit:AP)
Because The U.S. Tortures Detainees In Cuba(07 of27)
Open Image Modal
Almost 800 prisoners accused of terrorism have have been held at the U.S. military prison of Guantánamo, Cuba, where they are detained indefinitely without facing trial. The United States has drawn international criticism from human rights defenders for subjecting the detainees there to torture and other cruel treatment. The Cuban government opposes hosting the U.S. naval base on its soil. (credit:AP - In this Oct. 9, 2007 file photo US military personnel inspect each occupied cell on a two-minute cycle at Camp 5 maximum-security facility on Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba. )
Because The U.S. Has The World's Largest Prison Population(08 of27)
Open Image Modal
The United States has the world's largest prison population by far -- largely fed by the war on drugs -- at 500 per 100,000 people. (credit:AP)
Because The U.S. Jails Undocumented Immigrants Guilty Of Civil Violations(09 of27)
Open Image Modal
Because the United States imprisons roughly 400,000 immigrants each year on civil violations. (credit:AP)
Because The Border Patrol Kills Kids Who Throw Rocks(10 of27)
Open Image Modal
The U.S. Border Patrol has come under fire for killing minors who were throwing rocks. (credit:AP)
Because The U.S. Recognized An Illegal Government In Venezuela(11 of27)
Open Image Modal
When opponents of leftwing Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez briefly ousted him in 2002, the United States not only failed to condemn the coup, it praised the coup leaders. (credit:AP)
Because U.S. Extradition Undermines Justice In Colombia (12 of27)
Open Image Modal
When Colombia demobilized the largest rightwing paramilitary organization in 2006, if offered lenient sentences to those who would offer details on the atrocities the AUC committed. But rather than facing justice in their home country, Colombia has extradited several paramilitary leaders to the United States to face drug trafficking charges -- marking it harder for people like Bela Henríquez to find out the details surrounding the murders of their loved ones. "More than anger, I feel powerless," Henriquez, whose father, Julio, was kidnapped and killed on the orders of one defendant, told ProPublica. "We don't know what they are negotiating, what conditions they are living under. What guarantee of justice do we have?" (credit:Getty Images / Paramilitary heads are escorted by Colombian policemen from the maximum security jail of Itagui, Antioquia department, Colombia to Rionegro airport, 400km northeast of Bogota before their extradition to the US on May 13, 2008.)
Because The U.S. Helped Create Today's Cartels(13 of27)
Open Image Modal
The U.S funded the Guatemalan military during the 1960s and 1970s anti-insurgency war, despite awareness of widespread human rights violations. Among the recipients of U.S military funding and training were the Kaibiles, a special force unit responsible for several massacres. Former Kaibiles have joined the ranks of the Zetas drug cartel. (credit:Getty Images)
Because The U.S. Backed An Argentine Military Dictatorship That Killed 30,000 People(14 of27)
Open Image Modal
The rightwing military dictatorship that took over Argentina in 1976 "disappeared" some 30,000 people, according to estimates by several human rights organizations. They subjected countless others to sadistic forms of torture and stole dozens of babies from mothers they jailed and murdered. The military junta carried out the so-called "Dirty War" with the full knowledge and support of the Nixon administration. (credit:AP / Former Argentina's dictators Jorge Rafael Videla, left, and Reynaldo Bignone wait to listen the verdict of Argentina's historic stolen babies trial in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, July 5, 2012. )
Because The U.S. Helped Topple The Democratically Elected Government Of Salvador Allende(15 of27)
Open Image Modal
When it became clear that socialist Salvador Allende would likely win the presidency in Chile, U.S. President Richard Nixon told the CIA to "make the economy scream" in order to "prevent Allende from coming to power or to unseat him," according to the National Security Archive. Augusto Pinochet overthrew Allende in a bloody coup on Sept. 11, 1973, torturing and disappearing thousands of his political rivals with the backing of the U.S. government. (credit:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Flickr" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="59f36fa9e4b077d8dfc96724" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="13" data-vars-position-in-unit="18">Flickr</a>:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/36536537@N04/7976450360" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="&#x25B2;DulCeCAriTo&#x25B2;" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="59f36fa9e4b077d8dfc96724" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/photos/36536537@N04/7976450360" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="14" data-vars-position-in-unit="19">▲DulCeCAriTo▲</a>)
Because the U.S. Backed A Military Coup In Brazil In 1964(16 of27)
Open Image Modal
The Brazilian military overthrew the democratically elected government of João Goulart in 1964, with the enthusiastic support of President Lyndon Johnson, ushering in two decades of repressive government. (credit:AP)
Because The U.S. Funded A Terrorist Group In Nicaragua(17 of27)
Open Image Modal
The Reagan administration funded the Contra rebels against the Marxist Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Regarded by many as terrorists, the Contras murdered, tortured and raped civilians. When human rights organizations reported on the crimes, the Reagan administration accused them of working on behalf of the Sandinistas. (credit:AP)
Because The U.S. Helped Finance Atrocities In Colombia(18 of27)
Open Image Modal
Through Plan Colombia, the U.S. has pumped over $6 billion into Colombia's military and intelligence service since 2002. The intelligence service has been disbanded for spying on the Supreme Court and carrying out smear campaigns against the justices, as well as journalists, members of Congress and human rights activists. The military faces numerous allegations of human rights abuse, including the practice of killing non-combatants from poor neighborhoods and dressing them up as guerrillas to inflate enemy casualty statistics. (credit:Getty Images / People demonstrate by covering themselves with sheets pretending they are false positive victims, during a protest against the false positives, massacres and forced disappearences by Colombian authorities on March 6, 2009, in Bogota.)
Because The U.S. Maintains A Trade Embargo Against Cuba Despite Opposition From The Entire World(19 of27)
Open Image Modal
For 21 years, the U.N. has condemned the U.S. embargo against Cuba and for 21 years the United States has ignored it. Some 188 nations voted against the embargo this year, with only the U.S. itself, Israel, Palau opposing. (credit:Getty Images / A street market sells necklaces and bracelets in Old Havana on November 12, 2012 in Havana, Cuba. )
Because The U.S. Engineered A Coup Against The Democratically Elected Government Of Guatemala In 1954(20 of27)
Open Image Modal
At the behest of United Fruit Company, a U.S. corporation with extensive holdings in Central America, the CIA helped engineer the overthrow of the Guatemalan government in 1954, ushering in decades of civil war that resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. (credit:Getty Images / Politics, Guatemala/ Coups, pic: 28th June 1954, Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas, right, (1914-1957) pictured when the rebel leader was leader of the forces that were to overthrow the Guatemalan President Arbenz in a military coup, The Guatem)
Because The U.S. Backed The Salvadoran Military As It Committed Atrocities In The 1980s(21 of27)
Open Image Modal
El Salvador's military committed atrocities throughout the 1980s with U.S. funding. (credit:AP / n this July 1989 file photo, from left, Col. Rene Emilio Ponce, formerly the head of the Salvadoran Armed Forces joint chiefs of staff, Rafael Humberto Larios, formerly El Salvador's defense minister, Col. Inocente Orlando Montano, formerly public sa)
Because The U.S. Invaded Haiti and Occupied It For Almost 20 Years(22 of27)
Open Image Modal
Woodrow Wilson ordered the Marines to invade and occupy Haiti in 1915 after the assassination of the Haitian president. The troops didn't leave until 1934. (credit:AP / Stenio Vincent)
Because The U.S. Invaded Haiti Again In 1994(23 of27)
Open Image Modal
One invasion wasn't good enough. The U.S. military returned in 1994. (credit:AP)
Because The U.S. Trained Military Leaders Who Committed Atrocities In Latin America(24 of27)
Open Image Modal
The School of the Americas in Ft. Benning, Georgia, trained soldiers and generals responsible for massacres and torture of tens of thousands of Latin Americans, according to Al Jazeera. (credit:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Flickr" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="59f36fa9e4b077d8dfc96724" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="3" data-vars-position-in-unit="8">Flickr</a>:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/84685738@N05/7910188768" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Caravan4Peace" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="59f36fa9e4b077d8dfc96724" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/photos/84685738@N05/7910188768" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="4" data-vars-position-in-unit="9">Caravan4Peace</a>)
Because The U.S. Backed Dictator Rafael Trujillo(25 of27)
Open Image Modal
Rafael Trujillo Sr. (Photo by Hank Walker//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Because The U.S. Invaded Cuba And Undermined The Island's Independence(26 of27)
Open Image Modal
The so-called "Spanish-American War" began in 1868 with the first of a series of three wars for Cuban independence. In 1898, the U.S. got involved, invading Cuba and occupying the island after forcing Spain to give it. The United States then forced Cuba to accept the odious Platt Amendent to its Constitution, which allowed the United States to intervene in the country militarily and established the U.S. military base at Guantánamo. (credit:AP)
Because The U.S. Colonized Puerto Rico(27 of27)
Open Image Modal
As long as you're invading Cuba, why not take Puerto Rico as well? The United States invaded in 1898 and the island remains a U.S. territory today. (credit:AP)
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip