DOJ: Glaxo Settles Rx Drug Marketing Lawsuit for $3B

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a $3 billion settlement agreement with GlaxoSmithKline to resolve allegations that the British drugmaker broke U.S. laws in marketing several products. Under the agreement, GSK will pay the settlement and plead guilty to misdemeanor criminal charges for illegally marketing antidepressants Paxil and Wellbutrin and for failing to report the safety data on diabetes drug Avandia. The agreement is said to be the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history.

• "GlaxoSmithKline Settles Health Care Fraud Case for $3 Billion" (Ingram, Reuters, 7/2).
• "Glaxo Agrees to Pay $3 Billion in Fraud Settlement" (Thomas/Schmidt, New York Times, 7/2).