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Pharmaceutical manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline LLC has agreed to pay the state of Hawaii $1.2 million, as part of a $105 million settlement with 43 other states and the District of Columbia, over allegedly illegal promotion of asthma drug Advair, as well as antidepressant drugs Paxil and Wellbutrin.
“While we are certain this will put a stop to the off-label use of these drugs, we will be keeping a close eye on how the company proceeds forward in its business practices,” said Bruce Kim, executive director of the state Office of Consumer Protection, in a statement. “Patients need to feel safe in the way their health is being treated. Profit cannot be the motivation for these decisions.”
A state court judgment also requires GSK to reform its marketing and promotional practices.
