Press Release
GlaxoSmithKline to Pay $3 Billion to Settle Drug Marketing and Pricing Claims
August 28, 2012
Attorney General Michael C. Geraghty announced today that Alaska and various other states and the federal government have reached an agreement for the largest healthcare fraud settlement in U.S. history. Under the terms of the settlement, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has agreed to pay $3 billion to resolve allegations that GSK engaged in various illegal schemes related to the marketing and pricing of drugs it manufactures. As part of the settlement, GSK will pay to the states and the federal government a total of $2 billion in damages and civil penalties to compensate various federal healthcare programs, including Medicaid, for harm allegedly suffered as a result of the illegal conduct.
As part of this settlement, Alaska received a total of just over 1.4 million dollars in recoveries from GSK. In addition, GSK agreed to pay a $1 billion criminal fine in connection with those allegations.
The state and federal governments alleged that GSK engaged in a pattern of unlawfully marketing certain drugs for uses for which the drugs were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); making false representations regarding the safety and efficacy of certain drugs; offering kickbacks to medical professionals; and underpaying rebates owed to government programs for various drugs paid for by Medicaid and other federally-funded healthcare programs. Specifically, the government alleged that GSK engaged in the following activities:
- Marketing the depression drug Paxil for off-label uses, such as use by children and adolescents;
- Marketing the depression drug Wellbutrin for off-label uses, such as for weight loss and treatment of sexual dysfunction, and at higher-than-approved dosages;
- Marketing the asthma drug Advair for off-label uses, including first-line use for asthma;
- Marketing the seizure medication Lamictal for off-label uses, including bipolar depression, neuropathic pain, and various other psychiatric conditions;
- Marketing the nausea drug Zofran for off-label uses, including pregnancy-related nausea;
- Making false representations regarding the safety and efficacy of Paxil, Wellbutrin, Advair, Lamictal, Zofran, and the diabetes drug Avandia;
- Offering kickbacks, including entertainment, cash, travel, and meals, to healthcare professionals to induce them to promote and prescribe Paxil, Wellbutrin, Advair, Lamictan, Zofran, the migraine drug Imitrex, the irritable bowel syndrome drug Lotronex, the asthma drug Flovent, and the shingles and herpes drug Valtrex; and
- Submitting incorrect pricing data for various drugs, thereby underpaying rebates owed to Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs.
As part of the settlement, GSK pled guilty to criminal charges that it violated the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”). GSK introduced Wellbutrin and Paxil into interstate commerce when the drugs were misbranded, meaning containing labels that were not in accordance with their FDA approvals, and GSK failed to report certain clinical data regarding Avandia to the FDA.
The National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units participated in the investigation and analysis of the claims and conducted the settlement negotiations with GSK on behalf of the settling states. Team members included representatives from Massachusetts, California, Colorado, New York, and Ohio.
CONTACT: Assistant Attorney General Don Kitchen @(907) 269-6279
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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.