Here are the 10 largest settlements paid by pharmaceutical companies in 2010.
1. $750 million — Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., has agreed to pay $750 million to settle allegations that it manufactured and sold contaminated drugs to Medicaid and other government health programs.
2. $600 million — Allergan, a pharmaceutical company based in Irvine, Calif., has agreed to pay $600 million for allegedly promoting its pharmaceutical drug Botox — commonly used for cosmetic treatment — for uses not approved by the FDA, as well as paying kickbacks to physicians and other violations of the False Claims Act.
3. $520 million — Pharmaceutical manufacturer AstraZeneca, based in Wilmington, Del., has agreed to pay $520 million to settle allegations that it illegally marketed its antipsychotic drug Seroquel.
4. $422 million — Novartis Pharmaceuticals, based in East Hanover, N.J., has agreed to pay $422.5 million to settle allegations that it illegally marketed its pharmaceutical drug Trileptal, filed false claims and paid illegal kickbacks.
5. $313 million — Forest Pharmaceuticals, based in St. Louis, has agreed to pay more than $313 million to settle allegations of paying illegal kickbacks in the form of expensive meals, entertainment and cash payments disguised as grants or consulting fees to physicians prescribing its anti-depressant drugs Celexa and Lexapro.
6. $257 million — Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson has lost a lawsuit in Louisiana that alleged the company made misleading claims about the safety of its antipsychotic drug Risperdal, ending in a $257.7 million loss for the pharmaceutical giant.
7. $41 million — Cranbury, N.J.-based Kos Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay more than $41 million to settle allegations that the pharmaceutical company violated anti-kickback laws and promoted off-label use of its cholesterol treatment drugs Advicor and Niaspan.
8. $27 million — Teva Pharmaceuticals will pay $27 million to settle allegations of Medicaid fraud revealed by a whistleblower, claiming the company was violating the Florida False Claims Act by allegedly inflating the prices of various medications distributed by pharmacies and other providers reimbursed by the state Medicaid program.
9. $22 million — Pharmaceutical company Schwarz Pharma, headquartered in Chicago, has agreed to pay $22 million to resolve allegations that it failed to advise the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that two of its drugs — Deponit and Hyoscyamine Sulfate Extended Release — did not qualify for coverage under the federal healthcare programs.
10. $15 million — Connecticut has prevailed in a lawsuit against pharmaceutical company McKesson, which will pay $15 million to settle allegations the company inflated the costs of more than 400 name-brand drugs, including Lipitor, Celebrex and Neurontin, to increase the company's market share.
1. $750 million — Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., has agreed to pay $750 million to settle allegations that it manufactured and sold contaminated drugs to Medicaid and other government health programs.
2. $600 million — Allergan, a pharmaceutical company based in Irvine, Calif., has agreed to pay $600 million for allegedly promoting its pharmaceutical drug Botox — commonly used for cosmetic treatment — for uses not approved by the FDA, as well as paying kickbacks to physicians and other violations of the False Claims Act.
3. $520 million — Pharmaceutical manufacturer AstraZeneca, based in Wilmington, Del., has agreed to pay $520 million to settle allegations that it illegally marketed its antipsychotic drug Seroquel.
4. $422 million — Novartis Pharmaceuticals, based in East Hanover, N.J., has agreed to pay $422.5 million to settle allegations that it illegally marketed its pharmaceutical drug Trileptal, filed false claims and paid illegal kickbacks.
5. $313 million — Forest Pharmaceuticals, based in St. Louis, has agreed to pay more than $313 million to settle allegations of paying illegal kickbacks in the form of expensive meals, entertainment and cash payments disguised as grants or consulting fees to physicians prescribing its anti-depressant drugs Celexa and Lexapro.
6. $257 million — Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson has lost a lawsuit in Louisiana that alleged the company made misleading claims about the safety of its antipsychotic drug Risperdal, ending in a $257.7 million loss for the pharmaceutical giant.
7. $41 million — Cranbury, N.J.-based Kos Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay more than $41 million to settle allegations that the pharmaceutical company violated anti-kickback laws and promoted off-label use of its cholesterol treatment drugs Advicor and Niaspan.
8. $27 million — Teva Pharmaceuticals will pay $27 million to settle allegations of Medicaid fraud revealed by a whistleblower, claiming the company was violating the Florida False Claims Act by allegedly inflating the prices of various medications distributed by pharmacies and other providers reimbursed by the state Medicaid program.
9. $22 million — Pharmaceutical company Schwarz Pharma, headquartered in Chicago, has agreed to pay $22 million to resolve allegations that it failed to advise the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that two of its drugs — Deponit and Hyoscyamine Sulfate Extended Release — did not qualify for coverage under the federal healthcare programs.
10. $15 million — Connecticut has prevailed in a lawsuit against pharmaceutical company McKesson, which will pay $15 million to settle allegations the company inflated the costs of more than 400 name-brand drugs, including Lipitor, Celebrex and Neurontin, to increase the company's market share.