Takeda to Pay $13.6 Million to Resolve False Claims Allegations Over Trintellix Kickbacks

Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A. Inc. will pay $13,670,921 to the United States to resolve allegations that it caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs, the Justice Department announced on May 14, 2026.

The company allegedly paid kickbacks to health care providers to induce them to prescribe Trintellix, the brand-name antidepressant Takeda markets for major depressive disorder. Federal health care programs paid for those prescriptions. The settlement covers claims submitted to Medicare, which provides health coverage to more than 65 million Americans, and other federal programs including Medicaid.

The agreement resolves the matter without Takeda admitting liability. It marks the end of a federal investigation into the company's marketing practices for Trintellix. Under the settlement, Takeda must update its compliance policies and training to prevent future improper payments to physicians. These changes take effect immediately upon execution of the agreement.

Downstream, the payment reduces funds available in the Medicare trust funds by $13.6 million that otherwise would have been recovered through continued litigation. Federal health care programs must now incorporate the details of this resolution into their ongoing monitoring of antidepressant prescribing patterns.

The settlement also triggers mandatory reporting requirements under the agreement that will give the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services visibility into Takeda's speaker programs, consulting arrangements, and other physician payments for at least the next three years.

This settlement continues a pattern of False Claims Act resolutions targeting pharmaceutical manufacturers for alleged kickback schemes. The Justice Department has reached similar agreements with other drug makers involving payments to induce prescriptions reimbursed by federal programs.

The Takeda case was handled by the Justice Department's Civil Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.