Settlement amount: $3 billion
Year of settlement: 2012
Drugs involved: The antidepressants Paxil (paroxetine) and Wellbutrin (bupriopion); the antiepileptic Lamictal (lamotrigine); and others
Criminal charges filed? Yes
GlaxoSmithKline’s mismarketing crimes included promotion of its drugs for unapproved uses, hiding data about the medications’ risks, and making big payments or offering lavish gifts, such as all-expenses-paid vacations, to doctors for dispensing its products. One of the doctors involved was TV’s Dr. Drew, who allegedly received $275,000 indirectly from GSK to promote Wellbutrin as a remedy for sexual dysfunction in depression, despite a lack of data on its use for this purpose. He did not disclose his payment from the company when he discussed the drug on the air.