GlasoSmithKline Pleads Guilty to Fraud Cases

Pharmaceutical Company GlaxoSmithKline settles three criminal counts which include one count on filing to report safety data about the drug Avandia to the Food and Drug Administration and two counts of introduction misbranded drugs such as Paxil and Wellbutrin. The Pharmaceutical agreed to pay a $3 billion dollar fine, the largest penalty ever paid by a drug company.

USA Today, reports the GlaxoSmithKline failed to report the safety data to the FDA about the drug Avandia from 2001-2007. The FDA has included warnings on Avandia’s label to alert doctors and patients about the increased risk fro congestive heart failure and heart attacks since 2007.

Prosecutors claims GlaxoSmithKline promoted the use of Paxil for treating depression in children from April 1998 to August 2003; the FDA approved the drug for adults only. Moreover, the company promoted the medication Wellbutrin for weight loss, sexual dysfunction, substance addictions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, even though it was only approved to treat major depressive disorder. It is illegal to promote uses fro a medication that have not approved by the FDA; this practice is referred to as off-branding.

More than $700 million was spent by GlaxoSmithKline on settling lawsuits that claim the drug Avandia which caused heart attacks and strokes.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury from Paxil, Avandia or Wellbutrin, you may be to file a dangerous drug lawsuit. Contact the defective drug attorneys at Phillips Law Group to discuss your legal options.

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