A US judge has signed off an agreement by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline to pay $3 billion for criminal and civil violations involving 10 drugs that are taken by millions of people. The company pleaded guilty Thursday in US District Court to promoting popular antidepressants Paxil and Wellbutrin for unapproved uses.
The company also pleaded guilty to failing to report to the government some safety problems with Avandia. The diabetes drug was restricted in the US and banned in Europe after it was found in 2007 to sharply increase the risks of heart attacks and congestive heart failure. It is the largest health care fraud settlement in US history. Lawyers for the company and federal officials declined comment after Thursday's hearing.
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