Judge Rejects Aegerion Plea Deal for Deceptive Cholesterol Drug Marketing

A federal judge blocked Aegerion’s proposed $36 million deal to settle claims of illegal marketing tactics for its cholesterol drug Juxtapid, ordering the case to trial.

Aegerion was looking to settle accusations by the federal government that it engaged in unfair or deceptive practices, including fraud, to promote the drug.

In his order blocking the settlement, Judge William Young of the First District of Massachusetts blasted such arrangements, calling them symptomatic of a “two-tier criminal justice system” with different rules for wealthy corporations.