Big Fine for Drug Maker

Drug maker Abbott has been fined $1.6 billion for promoting unapproved uses of its anticonvulsant Depakote. The medication is used to prevent epileptic seizures, but the company was apparently encouraging doctors to prescribe it for agitation in patients with dementia as well as for schizophrenia. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are allowed to promote their products only for their approved indications. In addition to the fines, the settlement requires the company to abide by a corporate integrity agreement that will keep its activities under scrutiny for five years. It is the second largest fine assessed against a drug company in the US.