The New York Times - Business Day
Originally published May 7, 2012
The pharmaceutical company Abbott Laboratories said on Monday that it had reached an agreement with the federal and nearly all state governments to pay $1.6 billion in connection with its illegal marketing of the anti-seizure drug Depakote.The settlement comes as the Justice Department and the states have increased scrutiny of the sales and marketing practices of pharmaceutical companies, particularly in cases in which they market drugs for uses that are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
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Doctors may prescribe drugs for any purpose, but pharmaceutical companies are prohibited from promoting drugs for conditions that are not approved by the agency.
