While CMS told MallinckВrodt in 2016 that it had been reВportВing an inВcorВrect base AMP for the gel and diВrectВed the comВpaВny to corВrect its daВta reВportВing, MallinckВrodt conВtinВued to reВport the high base AMP, the law firm said. In the two decades since then, the price had inВcreased to around $40,000 a vial. HowВevВer, MallinckВrodt beВgan reВportВing daВta to the MDRP as though AcВthar had been apВproved in 2010 afВter some subВstanВtial price hikes.ДЇor conВtextвЂ™s sake: AcВthar Gel used to cost around $50 a vial at the turn of the cenВtuВry in 2001. Long stoВry short, LanВdolt learned that MallinckВrodt had been misВreВportВing AcВthar GelвЂ™s base avВerВage manВuВfacВturВer rice (вЂњAMPвЂќ) to the MedВicВaid Drug ReВbate ProВgram (MDRP), which reВduced how much MallinckВrodt had to pay in reВbates to the proВgram.ДЄcВcordВing to the law firm, AcВtharвЂ™s base AMP should have been reВportВed usВing its price in 1990, since it was apВproved in 1952. MallinckВrodt agreed to pay just over $26 milВlion to setВtle a case on viВoВlatВing the anВti-kickВback statute, and $233 milВlion to setВtle the case where the comВpaВny shortВed MedВicВaid close to $600 milВlion.Д«oston law firm WhistleВblowВer Law ColВlabВoВraВtive isВsued its own anВnounceВment about how its client, a forВmer MallinckВrodt emВployВee named James LanВdolt, got inВvolved. The amended Act is expected to be enforced in June.The setВtleВment reВsolves sepВaВrate casВes brought by the govВernВment folВlowВing the US enВterВing comВplaints in 20, both inВvolvВing the popВuВlar drug used to curb seizures in chilВdren. вЂњThe Government received support from the Opposition when the amendments were tabled and debated,вЂќ she noted. вЂњAlso, by providing automatic discharge for a person declared bankrupt three years after declaration and upon filing the statement of affairs, we are helping these people to start afresh,вЂќ said Azalina.Д®xisting law allows a bankrupt to apply for a court discharge only if five years have lapsed from the date the bankruptcy order was made and that, too, is subject to the creditorвЂ™s appeal.ДЄs of February, the Insolvency Department was administrating 292,086 cases of bankruptcy.ДЄzalina said amendments to the Act, which took just about one year from draft to being passed by the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara, became a factor that brought together politicians from both divides. вЂњWe need to help those who act as social guarantors as they canвЂ™t be made responsible if the person does not pay up their study loan. Social guarantors are defined as those who do not profit and essentially provide a guarantee for an education loan, hireВpurchase transactions for personal or nonВbusiness use, or a housing loan for personal dwellings.

This will significantly cut the processing time as well as red tape,вЂќ she added.ДЄ roadshow will be held nationwide to educate the public not only on the services provided by the department but also the recent changes made to the Bankruptcy Act 2016, especially to prevent those who act as social guarantors being declared bankrupt if borrowers fail to repay their debts. вЂњFor this procedure to be done fast, we need to shift some of the administrative вЂburdenвЂ™ to the bankrupt by having all the forms filled before they meet with an officer from the department. Speaking at the launch of the MyDI application, Azalina said the next step would be to ease the process of being discharged as a bankrupt by getting the person to fill in his application via online. In fact, a father can also use the application to check if his future sonВinВlaw is a bankrupt,вЂќ she quipped. вЂњThis facility will also be useful for those who wish to do a background check on their prospective employees. The application, said the minister, will be useful, especially for those who want to know if they have been listed as a bankrupt. The MyDI application, to be available from May 11, is one of the many transformation measures involving the Insolvency Department that Minister in the Prime MinisterвЂ™s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has set her mind on.

Starting next week it will take just a few touches on the smartphone to check whether one is a bankrupt, as continuous efforts are made to ease the publicвЂ™s dealings with government offices.

Ease diagnostics bankrupt