GlaxoSmithKline pays out £63m to settle US marketing allegations | World news | The Guardian
▻http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/04/glaxosmithkline-settle-lawsuit
The company was accused of illegally marketing its big-selling asthma drug Advair for use by mild asthma sufferers and the antidepressants Paxil and Wellbutrin for use by children and teenagers without approval from the US regulator the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Several antidepressants have been associated with increased risk of suicide in younger patients.
Illinois attorney general, Lisa Madigan, said in a statement: “GlaxoSmithKline put its business interests ahead of what was best for vulnerable patients.”
While doctors are allowed to prescribe medicines as they see fit – including so called off-label uses – pharmaceutical companies are allowed to promote their products only for conditions specifically approved by the FDA.