British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC improperly marketed the diabetes drug Avandia to South Carolina consumers, hiding the medication’s harmful side effects, according to a lawsuit filed by the state’s top prosecutor.
A spokeswoman for the company, however, said GlaxoSmithKline supports both its drug and the ways in which it was marketed.
In a lawsuit filed May 17 in Spartanburg County, Attorney General Alan Wilson argued that the drug maker acted negligently when it claimed that Avandia did not put patients’ hearts at risks and could actually reduce the potential for heart problems.
