Aventis Pharmaceuticals will pay 340B-covered entities $6.5 million for overcharges after allegedly misreporting best price for three anti-inflammatory nasal sprays, the U.S. Department of Justice announced May 29.

The DOJ alleges that between Oct. 1, 1995, and Sept. 30, 2000, Aventis failed to report and calculate into its best price discounts it provided to the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program and its affiliate Group Health Cooperative for repackaged versions of the three drugs. Both Medicaid rebates and 340B discounts are dependent on manufacturers accurately reporting their best prices.

DOJ alleges that the federal government, the states, and the "public health service entities" were overcharged for Azmacort, Nasacort, and Nasacort AQ sold under the insurers' private label sales contracts. In addition to the payment to the public health service entities, the government's settlement requires Aventis to pay the federal government just short of $49 million and the states more than $40 million.

Aventis does not admit to any wrongdoing.