The criminal trial of two former Acclarent executives is set to begin June 7—but the latest example of the U.S. Justice Department cracking down on medical device corporations’ top brass.
The government’s case claims that former Acclarent CEO William Facteau and the firm’s VP of sales, Patrick Fabian, plotted a fraudulent scheme to promote the Relieva Stratus Microflow spacer for off-label use to deliver drugs. The alleged scheme drove up the startup’s revenues and stock valuation, making the VC-based company an attractive takeover target for Johnson & Johnson.
