Glaxo Settles Defective Drug Suit for $750 Million

[techs]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-...ug-manufacturing-lawsuit-for-750-million.html

GlaxoSmithKline Plc agreed to pay $750 million to settle a U.S. government false-claims lawsuit over the sale of defective drugs.

Glaxo, the U.K.’s largest drugmaker, and the U.S. Justice Department announced the accord today, resolving a lawsuit first filed in 2004 by Cheryl D. Eckard, a former global quality assurance manager for the London-based company.

“This is not something I wanted to do, but because of patient safety it was necessary,” Eckard, 51, told reporters following a Justice Department press conference in Boston. As a whistleblower, she will receive $96 million from the settlement money.

Glaxo was accused in court papers of selling tainted drugs under false pretenses. The medicines, made at a Glaxo plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico, were misidentified as a result of product mix-ups, according to papers filed in federal court in Boston. The affected drugs included the antidepressant Paxil CR and the diabetes treatment Avandamet.

The settlement includes a criminal fine and forfeiture totaling $150 million and a $600 million civil settlement under the False Claims Act and related state claims, the Justice Department said in a statement.




I'm freaking outraged. Why are there no criminal charges? Why can corporations and their executives get away with crimes that would send a citizen to jail????

 

[JSt0rm]

this corporation is considered a person in the eyes of the law. An immortal soul with thousands to do its bidding. It has the right to influence our elections and has the ability to cause great harm. How can we put it in jail? The only thing we can do to it is fine it for money.

How about this nugget of corporate greed.

http://multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/issues/1987/04/formula.html

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

More corporate shens here:
http://www.hulu.com/the-corporation

 

[Thump553]

There was crimminal charges-they will be buying their way out of them for the $150M. After all, you can't lock up a corporation.

Pretty stunning fines-three quarters of a billion dollars.

This all depends on approval by the judge.

 

[JSt0rm]

There was crimminal charges-they will be buying their way out of them for the $150M. After all, you can't lock up a corporation.

Pretty stunning fines-three quarters of a billion dollars.

This all depends on approval by the judge.

I dont think they will pay. I think they will appeal it until its out of public eye and then spend 10 years getting the right people where they need to be to get out of paying.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Its a good thing Obamacare has solved this problem.

 

[werepossum]

She gets $96 million dollars!

I predict progressive heads exploding as they try to figure out if they love her for taking down a corporation or hate her for being the evil rich.

 

[Fear No Evil]

She gets $96 million dollars!

I predict progressive heads exploding as they try to figure out if they love her for taking down a corporation or hate her for being the evil rich.

Hopefully she pays her fair share on that 96 million.

 

[bamacre]

I'm freaking outraged. Why are there no criminal charges? Why can corporations and their executives get away with crimes that would send a citizen to jail????

Because your beloved big government protects them.

She gets $96 million dollars!

I predict progressive heads exploding as they try to figure out if they love her for taking down a corporation or hate her for being the evil rich.

LOL

 

[soulcougher73]

She gets $96 million dollars!

I predict progressive heads exploding as they try to figure out if they love her for taking down a corporation or hate her for being the evil rich.

But she really didnt take them down. $750million to them is like $100 to me. Isnt really going to register much on the radar. At least not enough to change anything. They will continue going strong making record setting profits every quarter im sure.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

I'm freaking outraged. Why ...rnment not the people. old news pal. wake up.

 

[Vette73]

I worked for GSK, 750mil is just part of doing business. I bet they are happy they got off so cheap and will keep doing what they always do.

 

[bamacre]

I suppose what we need is a government agency that makes sure these drugs are safe.

 

[Vette73]

I suppose what we need is a government agency that makes sure these drugs are safe.

Problem is politics comes into it.

FDA approves drugs quickly then a bad one gets by and people complain the FDA is not doing its job. Why is the FDA allowing these evil dirty drugs out without proper test?!!

Drug is in the pipeline and people are mad the FDA is holding up "cures" for everything that is wrong with people. Why does the FDA hate sick people?!!


And it seems the FDA did do its job when they got reports of problems...

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005 seized some Paxil CR lots after it was discovered that the pills sometimes split inappropriately, according to court papers. Some of the pills lacked an active ingredient. "

 

[werepossum]

I suppose what we need is a government agency that makes sure these drugs are safe.

Ooh! That is SO delicious, thanks!

Hey, at least government did get a big ass fine levied. All it took was a $96 million bribe to have someone point out where government was failing and it stepped up and, um, negotiated itself a $654 million bonus.

 

[techs]

Problem is politics comes into it.

FDA approves drugs quickly then a bad one gets by and people complain the FDA is not doing its job. Why is the FDA allowing these evil dirty drugs out without proper test?!!

Drug is in the pipeline and people are mad the FDA is holding up "cures" for everything that is wrong with people. Why does the FDA hate sick people?!!


And it seems the FDA did do its job when they got reports of problems...

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005 seized some Paxil CR lots after it was discovered that the pills sometimes split inappropriately, according to court papers. Some of the pills lacked an active ingredient. "

Well, I suppose that's one way of putting it.

 

[werepossum]

Problem is politics comes into it.

FDA approves drugs quickly then a bad one gets by and people complain the FDA is not doing its job. Why is the FDA allowing these evil dirty drugs out without proper test?!!

Drug is in the pipeline and people are mad the FDA is holding up "cures" for everything that is wrong with people. Why does the FDA hate sick people?!!


And it seems the FDA did do its job when they got reports of problems...

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005 seized some Paxil CR lots after it was discovered that the pills sometimes split inappropriately, according to court papers. Some of the pills lacked an active ingredient. "

All the benefits of placebos without our normal nasty side effects?

 

[trenchfoot]

Just the tip of the iceberg, and if the FDA weren't so full of pharma-owned employees we'd be a whole lot safer.

Good on the whistleblower for making drugs safer for the consumer, and good on her for getting a possible jackpot for all the trouble she went through.