UK pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline will plead guilty and pay a record breaking $3bn, to settle the largest case of healthcare fraud in US history. The settlement comes after a probe by the US Justice Department that investigated the company's marketing practices for nine of its products. GlaxoSmithKline pleaded guilty to misbranding the drugs Paxil, Wellbutrin and Avandia. Prosecutors claimed the company had encouraged the use of anti-depressant drug Paxil for children, even though it was not approved by anyone under the age of 18. Wellbutrin was also pushed for uses it was not approved for, including weight loss and sexual dysfunction. GSK failed to report safety data about diabetes drug Avandia to the Food and Drug Administration.
