DALLAS, TEXAS / ACCESS Newswire / May 1, 2025 / In a landmark decision, law firms Reese Marketos and Berger Montague have secured a $1.64 billion judgment against Janssen Products, LP, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. This judgment stands as one of the largest in the history of the False Claims Act (FCA), underscoring the critical role of whistleblowers in exposing corporate misconduct.
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The case centered on allegations that Janssen engaged in unlawful marketing practices for its HIV medications, Prezista and Intelence. Whistleblowers Jessica Penelow and Christine Brancaccio, former sales representatives at Janssen, filed the lawsuit in 2012, accusing the company of promoting these drugs for off-label uses not approved by the FDA. Such practices led to the submission of 159,574 false claims to government healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. Berger Montague litigated the case for more than a decade and hired Reese Marketos in 2022 to lead the trial.
After a six-week trial in 2024, the jury awarded $120 million in single damages. Under the FCA, these damages were tripled to $360 million. Additionally, U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi imposed civil penalties of $8,000 per false claim, amounting to approximately $1.28 billion, bringing the total judgment to $1.64 billion.
"This trial required relentless preparation and courtroom advocacy to stay on top of Janssen's never-ending excuses and blame-shifting," said Pete Marketos...
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