CHICAGO (CN) - GlaxoSmithKline and SB Pharmo Puerto Rico will pay $40.7 million to settle claims with 38 state attorneys general that they violated drug-manufacturing standards.
Between 2001 and 2004, the drug companies allegedly improperly manufactured and distributed products that were not sterilized and, in some cases, contained different dosages than what was indicated on the bottle. The drugs included Kytril, used to prevent nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy; Bactroban, an ointment for skin infections; Paxil CR, a controlled-release formulation of the antidepressant drug, Paxil; and Avandamet, a diabetes drug.
Under the terms of the settlement, the drugmakers must stop misrepresenting their products' characteristics, or causing confusion or misunderstanding about the way in which they are manufactured.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said current patients do not need to worry about the quality of their drugs since the manufacturing plant in question has since closed. Illinois will receive $2.4 million as part of the settlement.
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