GlaxoSmithKline, the British drug giant, has agreed to pay
$750 million to settle criminal and civil complaints that the
company for years knowingly sold contaminated baby ointment
and an ineffective antidepressant -- the latest in growing
number of whistle-blower lawsuits that drug makers have
settled with multimillion dollar fines.
Altogether, GlaxoSmithKline sold 20 drugs with questionable
safety that were made at a huge plant in Puerto Rico that for
years was rife with contamination. Cheryl Eckard, the
company's quality manager, asserts in her whistle-blower suit
that she warned Glaxo of the problems but the company fired
her instead of addressing the issues.
Among the drugs affected were Avandia, Bactroban, Coreg, Paxil and Tagamet.
No patients are known to have been sickened by the quality
problems although such cases would be difficult to trace.
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