GlaxoSmithKline agreed to pay $3 billion to resolve criminal and civil liability
A 2012 press release from the U.S. Department of Justice stated that GlaxoSmithKline had agreed to plead guilty and pay $3 billion to resolve any criminal and civil liability for its unlawful promotion of prescription drugs among other wrongdoings. In regards to Zofran, the company was alleged to have promoted the drug for off-label use in treating morning sickness in pregnant women. Zofran was only approved for use by the FDA for treating nausea as a result of chemotherapy in cancer patients. Allegations against the company include paying kickbacks to medical professionals as an incentive to promote and prescribe the drugs. At the time, the $3 billion settlement was the largest in the country.