ALLERGAN SUBPOENAD BY U.S. INSPECTOR GENERAL OVER LAP-BAND OBESITY DEVICE

Allergan has been issued a subpoena by the Inspector General regarding the company’s lap band obesity treatment device. The company disclosed the subpoena about its gastric band implant. It is unclear why the subpoena issued by an article published last year in the journal ARCHIVES OF SURGERY found that nearly half of the patients who had a gastric band implant either had no weight loss at all or had to have the device removed after 6 years. Over 40% of those people experienced long term complications. The product made more than $203 million in revenue for Allergan in 2011 and it gained expanded clearances for the product in a wider class of obese patients.