GlaxoSmithKline to Pay $750M Fine for Sale of Bad Drugs

[DainBramaged]

Another day, another hard pill to swallow for GlaxoSmithKline.

On Tuesday, the pharmaceutical giant agreed to pay $750 million to settle a government lawsuit alleging that the company sold defective and potentially dangerous medication.

The U.S. Justice Department brought suit against GSK after finding that the company's Cidra, Puerto Rico, factory produced drugs sold to consumers that were often mislabeled, of the wrong dosage and contaminated with micro-organisms.

"Today's settlement reminds the pharmaceutical industry that they must observe those standards and reflects the commitment of Federal law enforcement organizations to pursue improper and illegal conduct that places health care consumers at risk," Patrick E. McFarland, inspector general of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, said in a statement.

It's a sharp turn south for the company from earlier this year, when the Food and Drug Administration initially ruled to keep the drug Avandia on the U.S. market and stop studying it before later withdrawing it from store shelves. GSK, which closed the Cidra factory in 2009, issued its own statement to as much affect about today's settlement:

http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/glaxosmithkline-to-pay-750m-settlement-for-selling-faulty-drugs/19690395

[gratuitous]

1. Isn't that nice?

A corporation person makes billions in profit by selling dangerous products that might be lethal, and they're forced to kick back a fraction of those profits and it all goes away! Don't you wish you were a corporation person, too?