© 2024 University of Missouri - KBIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Mo. to get nearly $32 million from drug settlement

The Javorac
/
Flickr

Missouri will receive nearly $32 million as its share of a nationwide settlement with British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline.

The company agreed to pay a total of $3 billion for criminal and civil violations involving 10 drugs, including the promotion of antidepressants Paxil and Wellbutrin for unapproved uses.

Attorney General Chris Koster says Missouri's share of the money will go toward its Medicaid health care program for low-income residents. The lawsuit by federal and state governments alleged that GlaxoSmithKline had overcharged the Medicaid program for some drugs.

The settlement is the latest in a string of cases in which lawsuits have alleged pharmaceutical companies marketed drugs for purposes not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.