Published: August 05, 2011
HHS-OIG Drops Potential Action against Forest CEO Howard Solomon
NEW YORK - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Forest Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: FRX) today announced that the Office of
the Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG)
has notified Howard Solomon, Forest's Chairman, Chief Executive Officer
and President, that it has decided not to pursue his exclusion from
federal healthcare programs.
As previously disclosed on April 13, 2011, Mr. Solomon was notified that
HHS-OIG was considering his exclusion in connection with matters that
were settled by Forest in 2010. This afternoon, Mr. Solomon received
notification in a letter from HHS-OIG that it had decided not to seek
his exclusion.
The HHS-OIG letter states: "Based on a review of the information in our
file and consideration of the information that your attorneys provided
to us, both in writing and during an in-person meeting, we have decided
to close this case. We anticipate no further action related to this
matter."
Forest's Presiding Independent, Director Kenneth Goodman, stated, "We
are gratified by the HHS-OIG's determination that an exclusion of Mr.
Solomon is unwarranted. Our company and board remain committed to
ensuring that all Forest employees adhere to the highest standards of
professional conduct and that our company operates under
industry-leading compliance procedures. We also would like to thank our
shareholders, employees and business partners who have consistently
supported us throughout the process."
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The full text of the letter from HHS-OIG follows.
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Department of Health & Human Services
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Office of Inspector General
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Washington, D.C. 20201
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August 5, 2011
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Howard Solomon
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c/o Forest Laboratories, Inc.
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909 Third Avenue
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New York, NY 10022
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Dear Mr. Solomon:
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Re: OI File Number H-11-40460-9
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You were previously advised that an exclusion action was being
proposed under section 1128(b)(15) of the Social Security Act based
on your relationship to Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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Based on a review of the information in our file and consideration
of the information that your attorneys provided to us, both in
writing and during an in-person meeting, we have decided to close
this case. We anticipate no further action related to this matter.
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Sincerely,
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/s/ Peter Clark
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Peter Clark
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Exclusions Director
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Office of Investigations
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cc:
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Robert B. Fiske, Jr.
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Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
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450 Lexington Avenue
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New York, NY 10017
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About Forest Laboratories
Forest Laboratories' (NYSE: FRX) longstanding global partnerships and
track record developing and marketing pharmaceutical products in the
United States have yielded its well-established central nervous system
and cardiovascular franchises and innovations in anti-infective and
respiratory medicine. The Company's pipeline, the most robust in its
history, includes product candidates in all stages of development across
a wide range of therapeutic areas. The Company is headquartered in New
York, NY. To learn more, visit www.FRX.com.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this release
contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve a
number of risks and uncertainties, including the difficulty of
predicting FDA approvals, the acceptance and demand for new
pharmaceutical products, the impact of competitive products and pricing,
the timely development and launch of new products, and the risk factors
listed from time to time in Forest Laboratories' Annual Reports on Form
10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and any subsequent SEC filings.

Investors:
Forest Laboratories, Inc.
Frank J.
Murdolo, 1-212-224-6714
Vice President - Investor Relations
Frank.Murdolo@frx.com
or
Media:
Sard
Verbinnen & Co.
Hugh Burns/Lesley Bogdanow/Briana Kelly,
1-212-687-8080
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