PHOENIX (Legal Newsline) — Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced April 18 that Arizonans who purchased a blood test from Theranos Inc. will receive a full refund after a settlement between his office and the company.
Theranos agreed to pay $4.65 million after allegations that 10 percent of the company’s blood tests were voided or corrected.
Theranos purportedly sold roughly 1.5 million blood tests to more than 175,000 Arizonans between 2013 and 2016. The company, according to Brnovich’s office, misrepresented the method, accuracy and reliability of its tests. Additionally, Theranos was allegedly out of compliance with federal regulations contained in the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) of 1988.
Under the terms of the settlement, all consumers who purchased a test will receive a full refund, regardless of whether their individual results were voided or corrected. In addition to the restitution payment, Theranos will pay $200,000 in civil penalties and $25,000 in attorney fees. The company cannot own, operate or direct any laboratory in the state for the next two years.
“Everyone who paid for a test will receive a full refund, period,” Brnovich said. “This is a great result and a clear message that Arizona’s consumer protection laws will be vigorously enforced.”