Abbott Laboratories

Busted Business Bureau

HIEEEEE!!!!! I'm back! My third-string comedian, first-string friend Kate joins me to talk about a company that has gotten away with evils that take place during every stage of a life cycle: Abbott Laboratories. If you like undercover FBI stings with costumes, vile descriptions of bacteria through the lens of art criticism, or selling your weight in illegally-marketed sedatives, this episode is for YOU! How can a business factor in losing hundreds of millions of dollars every few years because they're getting sued by the government? Fairly easily it turns out!

Thanks for your patience re: me releasing season 5. If you like the episode and want to stay updated on why the hell it took so long, you can go to Patreon.com/bustedbizbureau and find stuff there! Otherwise, just tell your wonderful friends about this podcast; it means the world to me. Thanks so much! Love you bye!

SOURCES:

1. FBI health-care sting uses mob case treatment, Bruce Japsen, Chicago Tribune 2003
2. Abbott Laboratories, est. 1888, Andrew Clayman, Made in Chicago Museu, 2020
3. The Department of Health and Human Services And The Department of Justice Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program Annual Report For FY 2004
4. “ 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2021
5. RX COMPLIANCE REPORT: VOL. X, ISSUE 14/NOVEMBER 30, 2011. “Abbott reserves $1.5 billion to settle Depakote off-label allegations.”
6. DOJ Settlement agreement re: Abbott Depakote
7. How Deadly Bacteria Spread in a Similac Factory—and Caused the US Formula Shortage. Susan Berfield and Anna Edney. Bloomberg. August 24, 2022
8. Infant Formula Shortage Highlights WIC’s Critical Role in Feeding Babies, Zoë Neuberger, Katie Bergh and Lauren Hall, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, June 22, 2022
9. CONFIDENTIAL DISCLOSURE RE: ABBOTT LABORATORIES PRODUCTION SITE IN STURGIS, MICHIGAN. Acquired and published by the New York Times. October 9, 2021

Didn’t even get to this but here’s a random article about Abbott’s role in the Oxycontin crisis: Secret trove reveals bold ‘crusade’ to make OxyContin a blockbuster, David Armstrong, STAT news, 2016