GSK Faces Anti-Depressant Lawsuit
Sep 6, 2004 | BBC GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is facing a US lawsuit alleging that it covered up negative research findings on its anti-depressant drug Paxil.The lawsuits were filed on behalf of children and teenagers who were prescribed Paxil, known as Seroxat in the UK and Europe.
They claim GSK suppressed data showing that Paxil increased suicidal tendencies in young people.
GSK has denied the allegations, and said it would defend itself in court.
Litigation
"We've made data available in various forms, as is normal practice," a GSK spokesman told the Reuters news agency.
"We also submitted all the trial data to the regulatory authorities."
The lawsuit is the latest in series of legal battles GSK has had to fight over Paxil, once its best-selling drug.
Last month, the company paid $2.5m to settle an investigation by New York prosecutor Eliot Spitzer into whether it had held back the results of some trials on the drug.
As part of the settlement, GSK also agreed to publish the results of all clinical tests on its drugs since December 2000 on the internet.
The December cut-off date marks the point at which Glaxo Wellcome merged with Smithkline Beecham.
GSK is also fighting separate lawsuits brought by adult Paxil users who claim it caused adverse side-effects.