Largest fine for pharmaceutical fraud

In July 2012, British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline received a U$3 billion (£1.9 billion) penalty for corporate misconduct after admitting to the biggest healthcare fraud in history. The payment was to resolve offences committed between 1997 and 2004, when it was alleged to have bribed doctors to prescribe drugs associated with safety concerns or, in other cases, promoted drugs that were not approved for their intended purpose. One such drug was Wellbutrin, which is used to treat depression but which was promoted in the USA as a slimming treatment. In another instance, a drug was promoted for children that had not been approved for use for those under 18 years.