Abbott Laboratories has agreed to pay $1.5 billion to resolve allegations that the company marketed its anti-psychotic drug Depakote for unapproved uses.  The settlement includes a $700 million criminal fine and forfeiture; the remaining $800 million settles the civil allegations and will be allocated between the federal government and the states.  As part of the settlement, Abbott pleaded guilty to misdemeanor count of misbranding for promoting Depakote for schizophrenia as well as agitation and aggression in elderly dementia patients.  Abbott has also signed a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement, under which the company will implement several controls on its compliance program and could be subject to exclusion from federal health care programs for breach of the agreement.

Read the entire press release, “Abbott Labs to Pay $1.5 Billion to Resolve Criminal & Civil Investigations of Off-Label Promotion of Dapakote”