Adulterated drugs including Paxil and Bactroban sold for years by drugmaker
Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline finalized a pact to pay $750 million and plead guilty for manufacturing and distributing adulterated drugs from their manufacturing plant, Puerto Rico in Cidra, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday. The company was accused of criminal and civil complaints which stated that the company, for years, knowingly sold contaminated skin ointment and an ineffective antidepressant. The fine was paid to settle allegations that, because the drugs were adulterated, false claims for reimbursement were submitted to government healthcare programs. The adulterated drugs were: Kytril, anti-nausea medicine; Bactroban, skin ointment; Paxil CR, an anti-depressant; and Avandamet, a diabetes drug.