GSK chief apologises after £1.9bn US fine

Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline yesterday admitted to “unacceptable” mistakes in the United States following its recent £1.9 billion fine to settle the largest healthcare fraud in American history.

Announcing interim results, chief executive Sir Andrew Witty said he was “very sorry” for the group’s actions after GSK pleaded guilty this month to mis-promoting two medicines by seeking to persuade doctors to prescribe anti-depressant drug Paxil for children although it was not intended for under 18s, as well as pushing the Wellbutrin drug for uses for which it was not approved.

His comments came as the group announced plans to cut a further £500 million in costs after revealing a decline in sales and profits amid global economic turmoil.

Witty said he was “very sorry that we have had to deal with the echoes of the past”, adding: “We’re determined that this is never going to happen again.”

He added that he could not rule out job losses as a result of the firm’s £1.9bn proposed takeover of its American partner Human Genome Sciences.