Botox Maker to pay $600 Million

The maker of wrinkle-smoothing drug Botox says it will pay $600 million to settle an investigation into its marketing of the drug.

The company said Wednesday in a statement it will plead guilty to one misdemeanor charge of "misbranding," in which the company's marketing led physicians to use Botox for unapproved uses. Those included the treatment of headache, pain, spasticity and cerebral palsy in children.

Earlier this year, an Oklahoma jury also reached a $15 million negligent-damage verdict against the maker of Botox in the case of a 47-year-old woman who says she suffered years of pain after getting the wrinkle-smoothing injections. The plaintiff, Dr. Sharla Helton, said the verdict was the “first step in making sure the public is aware of the actual risks of Botox. It's a steppingstone to protect the public from what the company is hiding.”

If you have experienced dangerous side effects from a drug, call my office at 702-240-0000, text us at 24-0000, or go to edbernstein.com.

-Ed Bernstein

Allergan to Pay $600 Million in Botox Cases
By JON KAMP

Allegan Inc. reached a $600 million settlement with the U.S. government to resolve criminal and civil charges related to marketing practices for its top-selling product, the wrinkle-smoothing drug Botox, and unapproved medical uses.

Find article at: Wall Street Journal