GSK Reaches Potential $28 Million Settlement over Defective Paxil Tablets

GlaxoSmithKline has reached a tenative $28 million settlement in a class action lawsuit over manufacturing defects in certain tablets of their best selling antidepressant Paxil.

The suit alleged that Paxil "controlled release" (CR) tablets made between April 1, 2002 and March 4, 2005, contained a manufacturing defect that caused the tablets to split apart.

The settlement, if approved, would reimburse patients and insurers who paid for the drug. The amount each class member will recieve will depend on how many defective pills they bought, to a maximum of $150 per person. For a pill to be "defective" under the settlement, it must have split before it was removed from the container.

Class members who choose to exclude themselves from the settlement must do so by May 15. Those who wish to object to the settlement terms must do so by July 1. A final approval hearing will be held on July 10, 2009.

MARCH-27-09: Parties Settle Paxil "Split Pill" Class Action [CONSUMER AFFAIRS: PARTIES SETTLE PAXIL SPLIT PILL CLASS ACTION]