Pam Bondi: Glaxo Agrees to $56 Million for Florida

On Monday it was reported that Florida will receive $56 million as part of a record-setting $3 billion federal-state settlement by drug maker GlaxoSmithKline to resolve criminal and civil charges that included marketing antidepressants for approved uses.

I am proud to say that this agreement makes Florida whole for the deceptive practices that misled consumers and defrauded the Medicaid program out of money, Attorney General Pam Bondi stated in a release.

Floridas civil investigation was handled by the attorney generals Complex Civil Enforcement Bureau, which is part of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Among the money designated for Florida: $11.3 million goes to the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration; $10 million into the Florida General Revenue Fund; $1.1 million into the Legal Affairs Revolving Trust Fund; and $2.4 million to various qui tam relators (private individuals that helped in the case).

Another $31.8 million goes to the U.S. government, directed into the joint state/federal-run Medicaid program.

The U.K.-based Glaxo, in pleading guilty to the largest health-care fraud settlement in U.S. history, admitted to criminal charges involving the antidepressants Paxil between 1998 and 2003 and Wellbutrin, and for withholding safety date from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about the diabetes drug Avandia.

"Whilst these originate in a different era for the company, they cannot and will not be ignored, Glaxo Chief Executive Andrew Witty stated in a release. On behalf of GSK, I want to express our regret and reiterate that we have learned from the mistakes that were made."