Mission Beth

12/31/2024

On Christmas Night, I had a dream about my sister Beth. I haven’t dreamt about her in over 7 years so it was so special. She would have been 44 years old yesterday and she died when she was 22. ✨

In the dream, she died but I prayed to Jesus to bring her back to life and He did. She came back down to earth and I held her face. It felt so real and beautiful and all the colors were vibrant bright pastels and she was so happy and filled with light and love. Somehow it also felt like we were both children again, so beautiful.

The next morning when I woke up, I kept thinking about Lazarus. I just couldn’t stop thinking about how Jesus raised him from the dead. Then I went downstairs to meditate, I randomly opened my Bible to John 11:1-44 where Mary and Marta are upset that Jesus didn’t come before Lazarus died. But then Jesus raised him. I couldn’t believe I opened to that page, to be honest I never in my life once on my own thought about Lazarus.

Then I went to workout and put on YouTube and the first thing that came on was a talk by about Lazarus (starts at 2:30 mins, https://youtu.be/_MmKWJiqoYc?si=tOjU-ouCyUpsCt_L
The speaker quotes John 11:30-44 where Lazarus dies and how Jesus felt deep sorrow and then raises him from the dead. He delayed his healing because Jesus knew this would be meaningful and change history.

So then, I get in the car and this song that I have never ever heard before comes on pandora, “Rise Up” by CAIN about Lazarus.

So beautiful, thank you Beth. It’s amazing because in 2025 I plan to learn how to share Beth’s story and do it with more courage than ever. May her spirit continue to “rise up” and guide me in 2025 as it did in my Christmas Night dream.

Because of God’s grace, His mercy, forgiveness, healing and redemption, we are given the opportunity to life forever in heaven.

Thank you Jesus and thank you Beth. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone. 🙏🏼❤️

10/07/2024

My sister Beth died 21 years ago today. We will never forget her beautiful face. Below is a paper I wrote last week for a class I am taking about my sister Beth.

Ephesians 6:10-16
The Full Armor of God
by Carin Winter

“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
- Ephesians 6:10-16

In Ephesians 6:10-16, Paul writes from prison to the Church, urging believers to stand firm in their faith by putting on the full armor of God. His message is clear: spiritual warfare is real, and we must rely on God's strength and protection rather than our own.

Being a Christian means preparing for battle every day by living truthfully, righteously, and faithfully in our relationship with God.

I would like to share a story about my sister Beth and how Ephesians 6:10-16 applies to our battle after her death.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might." (v. 10) Our spiritual strength comes from God’s grace not our mere human strength. So, we need to be strong in the Lord, by renewing our relationship with Him daily.

To be strong in the Lord, means to ask for God to fight our battles for us, most of them being spiritual battles. We can do this ourselves in our own lives, we can ask God to fight the battle for us - when there is something that we are struggling with, be it sickness, a relationship or a financial problem. We can ask His will to take a hold and rely on His strength to heal and carry us through the struggle. We need to ask ourselves where it is in our own lives that we need to be strong in the Lord?

It is important to realize that our little human strength is simply insufficient. We are carried by God’s strength alone through prayer, Scripture, and fellowship.

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." (v. 11)

We are being directed here to trust in God’s divine will for us and his power to protect us and guide us. It is God’s armor and protection alone that provides us safety and security from the darkness of evil. The devil is constantly trying to find a way to ruin our lives. Every day we are at risk, not just when we leave home and encounter dangerous people but even in the quietness of our own thoughts. The devil is fighting to get a hold of you, your mind, your family and friends and all those you love.

My little sister Beth was born in 1980, the youngest girl in our family. She was courageous, happy and joy filled. After college, she worked at a golf course and was applying for “real jobs” in her field. During this time, she was having trouble sleeping and was prescribed a drug by her doctor, which she took for seven days. This drug was not for sleep though, it was for depression and Beth was not depressed. Tragically, this drug caused a severe side effect called akathisia. I was with Beth at an event that week and noticed she was unable to ice a cupcake. I sat with her after the party and prayed with her. I had a horrible feeling during my prayer that she would take her life. I asked her if she was suicidal and she said “no way”.

Two days later my mother and brother Matthew, who was 12 years old, found her hanging in the hallway from a belt. My mother said she felt evil entities all around her. We knew immediately it was the drug that caused her to take her life. There was nothing in her soul that would do that.

We later found out that the drug was linked to suicidal ideation and had been banned in several countries. My family and I fought the drug company and the FDA, eventually helping secure a warning label on the drug. It was David and Goliath feat and we wore the full armor of God’s righteousness, and through his truth and faith, we won. To be clear, there was no monetary gain for us, only the regulatory body was awarded but justice was served to some degree.

However, my anger lingered, I experienced her death clinically as murder and so none of this justice cured or healed my heart. My anger was so deep and strong. Until one day, I realized the real battle wasn’t against the people who made the drug. As it says in

Ephesians verse 12, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (v. 12) My battle was not against flesh and blood but was against the darkness, the evil that I was fighting; the schemes of the devil, the greed and lies that the devil told to the makers of the drugs, the hypnotic trance of greed that he used hypnotized the regulatory bodies. Holding onto anger was allowing the devil to continue harming me and allowing him to win the spiritual battle. I had to forgive the people and ask God to help me fight the dark forces while fully relying on God’s armor to resist the schemes of the enemy.

The longer I walk around with this sack of resentment, the longer I allowed the darkness to not just take my sister’s life but my own, I was losing the battle, so I worked on forgiveness every single day and asked for the strength of the full armor of God to guide me.

And the story goes on, justice did prevail further because the truth was relieved by the light of God. "Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth..." (v. 14a) In the end, the makers of the drug and their lies had been exposed a couple years after we spoke at the FDA hearing and they were fined $3.2 billion dollars, the largest lawsuit in pharmaceutical history. Being grounded in the truth is protective in spiritual warfare. It was the truth that allowed us to beat the drug company, because as the devil used the belt of evil, we had the “belt of truth” around us, it allowed us to be able to fight for what is right and be spiritually protected.

As Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the truth that we have fasted to us like a belt. Jesus uses the belt of truth to destroy his lies. The truth is Beth was taken by the greed of this company and the greed of the regulatory bodies who were benefiting directly from its profits, not her own will. So Beth’s soul is protected by that truth. The night before she died, our family prayed the rosary and Beth prayed for herself and asked Jesus for help. We were first so confused why he would take her but it was the love and guidance of Jesus that healed our doubt.

When we are grounded in integrity and lead by the truth of Jesus Christ we are able to move forward and fight any human battle without fear, because we have His spiritual protection. Like a belt that secures a soldier’s armor, God’s truth holds everything together.

We also need to be spiritually prepared to fight a battle at any point, inner battles and lies that form in our own heads, like “What if” thoughts and outer battles, like being challenged by a difficult person or institution.

"...and having put on the breastplate of righteousness." (v. 14b)
God offers us the breastplate of righteousness, which is his protection, not just for our physical body but our soul. When we were fighting the FDA we thought we might lose but we knew we wore the breastplate of righteousness on our chest. We knew we were entering into spiritual warfare with God’s righteousness protecting us so we do not need to fear injustice or failure because even if we lose in this world, as we lost Beth, our God wins in the highest court of heaven.

The breastplate is symbolic of not just protecting our vital organs but our hearts and souls. Even if we are defeated by man in an earthly battle, even if our loved ones are taken from us, in the courts of the high heavens, we are liberated and free as we are protected by God’s armor. So, we should be brave and fear no evil and enter the battle knowing that we are protected by the holy court of God’s righteousness in eternity.

“and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace." (v. 15)
The truth of the gospel protects us to fight the dark forces of the world. Just like we can’t show up for battle without training, we must be prepared by studying the gospel to prepare for spiritual warfare. I will stand and fight for Beth with the full armor of God until the day I die, with my soul grounded in the gospel of peace and therefore guided by God’s knowledge.

So each morning, before your feet even hit the ground, put on God’s armor. Because while Jesus is laying beside you awaiting your awakening to remind you that you are his child and you are loved; the devil is waiting for you in the bathroom, he's gonna tell you you're ugly, not good enough and nobody loves you. So turn to God’s love by opening the gospel of peace.

"In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one." (v. 16)
Keep in mind, in closing, that it is our faith that protects us from the devil’s trickery, extinguishing the devilish ways which induce fear, anxiety and more. The armor of God is also needed to protect our family. Even as we lost my sister Beth, we still had faith in God. We had the shield of faith which protected us in our fight against the dark forces. That is why it is important that we stay awake and armored by God’s grace not just for ourselves but for those we love.

In Summary Ephesians 6:10-16 reminds us that we are not in a war against any one person or people but against the dark and evil forces in the world and therefore we can not rely on our small human powers but the power alone of God’s Armor and protection. We need the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the readiness of the gospel and the shield of faith. We have to have the entire armor because the devil is constantly trying to find a way to ruin our lives, our peace and our sanity. We need to stay spiritually fit and alert, we can not enter into a battle without training, therefore we need the gospel of truth to guide us. Reading the bible, practicing the teachings of Jesus Christ, and trusting in God each day in small ways, prepares us for bigger battles.

Bibliography

“The Holy Bible”, New International Version, Grand Rapids MI, 2011

Office of Public Affairs, “GlaxoSmithKline to Plead Guilty and Pay $3 Billion to Resolve Fraud Allegations and Failure to Report Safety Data” https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/glaxosmithkline-plead-guilty-and-pay-3-billion-resolve-fraud-allegations-and-failure-report, Monday, July 2, 2012

J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, “Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading,
Interpreting and Applying the Bible”, 3rd edition, Grand Rapids, MI Zondervan, 2012

https://youtu.be/_4JXyEJaGX4?feature=shared

https://youtu.be/D2SOD7G71MI

We are grateful for Beth’s life and the love of Jesus always wins.

06/17/2024

If you in town 4th of July week, or want to come to beautiful ☀️Long Island 🏝️ for the most glorious time of year, please join us at The Mission Be Summer Soirée 👗on the Bay July 3rd at Captain Bill’s 🐟🦞in Bay Shore. Live reggae music, dancing🪩, dinner 🍽️tons of raffles and a truly great time supporting a beautiful cause, bringing mindfulness to more children. 🌴☀️🌊

Support the integration of mindfulness into local education.

04/21/2024

I’m so grateful that I got to be on Dr. Joseph Mercola’s Podcast. He is such a sweet, kind, brave miracle worker. 🩷

The founder of this nonprofit organization is on a mission to bring mindfulness to children in schools. Teachers can benefit from this program, too.

11/01/2022

https://youtu.be/_4JXyEJaGX4
My mother testifying at an FDA hearing on Paxil.

Another testimony from the FDA Advisory Committee Public Hearing on the connection between antidepressants and suicidal thinking and actions. This was shot ...

10/31/2022

Every morning one of my mentors sends me a quote and this mornings quote was, "Don’t be afraid to stand up for what you believe in, even if that means standing alone." I will always stand against the abuse of corporate power over our most vulnerable populations.

You may know my sister Beth died from Paxil, here is Beth: https://youtu.be/D2SOD7G71MI and her story and my mother testifying at an FDA Panel Hearing about how she died: https://youtu.be/_4JXyEJaGX4

Below is a link to the Paxil's Black Box warning label, a label that my family and a few others advocated for at FDA Advisory Panel hearings in Washington DC, after losing my sister Beth to Paxil at age 22.

In the first sentence the word is: that Paxil INCREASES the risk of su***de in anyone under age 25. In the study it also notes that Paxil increases su***de risk for anyone over age 65 compared to the placebo.

And here lies the simple issue: Doctors are still prescribing this drug to children and the elderly.
The link is here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sY38Wx--06xvri3AAqW5bY99d7_DEiKA/view?usp=drivesdk

The document is 88 pages (Beth's favorite number 🐝) but it's just the first box you need to read to get a hint at how out the FDA neglects our most vulnerable populations, they simply place a warning label on an 88 page document and then allow doctors to continuously prescribe it they just have to say on the box "Antidepressants increased the risk compared to placebo of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults".

The Black Box Warning label reads:
PAXIL®
(paroxetine hydrochloride) Tablets and Oral Suspension
Suicidality and Antidepressant Drugs
PRESCRIBING INFORMATION
Antidepressants increased the risk compared to placebo of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults in short-term studies of major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of PAXIL or any other antidepressant in a child, adolescent, or young adult must balance this risk with the clinical need. Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age 24; there was a reduction in risk with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults aged 65 and older. Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of su***de. Patients of all ages who are started on antidepressant therapy should be monitored appropriately and observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior. Families and caregivers should be advised of the need for close observation and communication with the prescriber. PAXIL is not approved for use in pediatric patients. (See WARNINGS: Clinical Worsening and Su***de Risk, PRECAUTIONS: Information for Patients, and PRECAUTIONS: Pediatric Use

After spending years advocating, researching and helping bringing to light the harms done by the FDA's neglect and Glaxo-Smith Kline's deception in their clinical trials and marketing, see here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/glaxosmithkline-plead-guilty-and-pay-3-billion-resolve-fraud-allegations-and-failure-report .......as well as well as, researching the FDA's neglectful watch as the governing agency allowed ignoring multiple layers of conflicts of interest https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/many-antidepressant-studies-found-tainted-by-pharma-company-influence/
(Sorry run on sentence)........I will never sit back and agree that something is good without doing all of my research and sharing the facts.

Here is another example: Pfizer now THE largest fraud settlement in pharmaceutical history pays out $2.3B to avoid criminal charges: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-largest-health-care-fraud-settlement-its-history.

Yet many people who do their research and don't trust Pfizer are gaslighted, lose their jobs and told they don't believe in science. My other sister Paula for example lost her job in healthcare in 2022 because she doesn't trust Pfizer and other drug companies, see here: https://westchester.news12.com/judge-temporarily-blocks-ny-from-requiring-medical-workers-to-be-vaccinated

She lost her job to experimental vaccine, that Pfizer now admitted does not stop the spread of covid: https://youtu.be/mnxlxzxoZx0
Paula has dived deep into research and advocacy demanding transparency by pharmaceutical companies and the FDA. Then she was then forced to get an experiential vaccine or lose her job. These three vaccine makers that were: one by a drug company with no former approved drugs, one that has the largest pharmaceutical crime in history or another one who admitted safety issues and has a giant suit against them for another product, Baby powder.

Now, here is another film about my families experience: https://www.cchr.org/documentaries/making-a-killing/get-the-facts.html I do not endorse or support this film or CCHR's but my family is telling Beth's story in the first few minutes which is an important story.

There have been many members of the FDA advisory committee who are embroiled in conflicts of interest, who have ignored injures to those harmed. A prime example that many of us are familiar with outside of Paxil is the pharmaceutical companies and FDA's multiple conflicts of interests surrounding the op**te crisis which was multifaceted layered and embroiled in conflicts of greed and power.
To understand how the FDA operates with conflicts of interest see here:
https://oversight.house.gov/news/press-releases/committee-releases-report-uncovering-significant-conflicts-of-interest-at
The goal of the FDA is to regulate and protect our children from harm, as is the CDC by the way.

It is horrific and astonishing what greed can do to the human moral compass at the expense of our children.

I will always stand up against any organization or institution who puts their own financial needs and gains (rooted in the dark forces of greed) over the health and well-being of our children in America and the world.

I will always stand and fight for medical freedom 🇺🇸, justice and truth and for the victims of pharmaceutical greed and those injured to have a uncensored voice. May transparency reign sumpreme in the pharmaceutical world, may conflicts of interest with the pharmaceutical companies be eliminated from the FDA, CDC and may drug makers be fiscally responsible for injuries to their victims.

Pardon my passionate morning. In the end, it's God's justice that will reign supreme. 🙏

Have a great day! ☀️

09/18/2021

Trust Pfizer? Directly from the website...
"Justice Department Announces Largest Health Care Fraud Settlement in Its History"
"Pfizer to Pay $2.3 Billion for Fraudulent Marketing
WASHINGTON – American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. and its subsidiary Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc. (hereinafter together "Pfizer") have agreed to pay $2.3 billion, the largest health care fraud settlement in the history of the Department of Justice, to resolve criminal and civil liability arising from the illegal promotion of certain pharmaceutical products, the Justice Department announced today.
Pharmacia & Upjohn Company has agreed to plead guilty to a felony violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act for misbranding Bextra with the intent to defraud or mislead. Bextra is an anti-inflammatory drug that Pfizer pulled from the market in 2005. Under the provisions of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, a company must specify the intended uses of a product in its new drug application to FDA. Once approved, the drug may not be marketed or promoted for so-called "off-label" uses – i.e., any use not specified in an application and approved by FDA. Pfizer promoted the sale of Bextra for several uses and dosages that the FDA specifically declined to approve due to safety concerns. The company will pay a criminal fine of $1.195 billion, the largest criminal fine ever imposed in the United States for any matter. Pharmacia & Upjohn will also forfeit $105 million, for a total criminal resolution of $1.3 billion."

American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. and its subsidiary Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc. (hereinafter together “Pfizer”) have agreed to pay $2.3 billion, the largest health care fraud settlement in the history of the Department of Justice, to resolve criminal and civil liability aris...

09/18/2021

Let's allow people with injuries to have a voice, to be seen and heard and not silenced.

Julie Anne Nobles – Moderna May 2021 Severe Adverse Reactions: Seizures, Bell’s Palsy, Severe Neurological Damage, Stroke like Episodes Julie Anne Nobles with the Support of her Husband Ben Julie Anne’s Story in Her Own Words: I want to bring awareness to side effects that can happen once you ...

09/15/2021

See Paula here speaking from her heart on News 12.

Two Syosset Hospital nurses also filed a lawsuit based on religious freedom, but a federal judge refused to block the state’s vaccine mandate in that case.

05/30/2021

My sister Beth died from a "safe and effective" drug they approved. Then the FDA was investigated, the government sued Glaxo Smith Klien for a drug that the FDA knew caused this side effect, so they were equally responsible. They distributed nothing to those harmed, gave no apology and they never forced the company to change the molecular structure of the drug.

Allowing the FDA to sue GSK and to payout whistleblowers but not families and those harmed is unethical. Creating laws that you can't litigate against the drug and vaccines makers, only the US government which cost tax payers money is unethical. The fact that we are allowing this is unethical.

We are all likely going to know someone injured by Covid vaccine. So far our of my Facebook friends in the last 8 weeks: one lost her hearing, one couldn't walk for weeks, one has heart issues, and my real life friends of family, 1 died at 48 years old the next day, one had a stroke in her 30s and has been in rehab,
another one died that week cause unknown in his 30s. So I'm vax-curious about vaccine not anti or pro but just simply curious. I would not
encourage anyone to get it or not get it.

My passion lies in accountabilty and transparency. Right now, there is no accurate tracking system for vaccine injuries. Additionally, if you are harmed by a vaccine you cannnotnsure the company. You can only sue the US Government for $200,000. Why are we as tax payers accountable for the pharmaceutical companies rushed vaccine? Why are injured people voiceless and powerless, because they are protecting the pharmaceutical companies and their own private investments? Why are their FB groups being taken down? Why do they not have a voice? How are this many similar injuries a coincidence?

People in India are dying. If the vaccine works then why can't they give it to people in India by allowing other manufacturers to make it and profit share? That seems rather unethical and greedy to me. Does it come down to anything other then greed?

Maybe the lawsuit for those vaccine and drug injured needs to be against the lawmakers for making unethical laws that protect big companies.
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/business/glaxosmithkline-agrees-to-pay-3-billion-in-fraud-settlement.html

Read the article pasted below and consider the implications of this settlement in today's world. I sat in a FDA hearing on this. My family spoke. We worked with a small team of families and helped inspire the issuing of blackbox warning labels issued on all SSRIs the highest warning label a drug can get before its banned off the market. A true David and Goliath story, that I experienced and watched for the last 17 years. The greed and unethical decisions made by our lawmakers and the FDA are unbelievable if you take the time to connect the dots.

Our children need to be protected by consumer advocacy, we cannnot trust the corporate pharmaceutical companies to put human lives first before profit. See the article below, imagine watching this all unfold.

Please do you own research and decide if you what is best for your children when it comes to pharmaceutical drugs or vaccines, especially ones without any trials on the long term effects. Protect them always and don't rely on drug markers or the FDA or CDC to protect them. Be brave, be courageous, protect their health and wellbeing. https://www.aappublications.org/news/2021/05/27/covid-vaccine-myocarditis-guidance-052721

NY Times article pasted below, titled:
"Glaxo Agrees to Pay $3 Billion in Fraud Settlement"

By Katie Thomas and Michael S. Schmidt
July 2, 2012

In the largest settlement involving a pharmaceutical company, the British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay $3 billion in fines for promoting its best-selling antidepressants for unapproved uses and failing to report safety data about a top diabetes drug, federal prosecutors announced Monday. The agreement also includes civil penalties for improper marketing of a half-dozen other drugs.

The fine against GlaxoSmithKline over Paxil, Wellbutrin, Avandia and the other drugs makes this year a record for money recovered by the federal government under its so-called whistle-blower law, according to a group that tracks such numbers.

In May, Abbott Laboratories settled for $1.6 billion over its marketing of the antiseizure drug Depakote. And an agreement with Johnson & Johnson that could result in a fine of as much as $2 billion is said to be imminent over its off-label promotion of an antipsychotic drug, Risperdal.

No individuals have been charged in any of the cases. Even so, the Justice Department contends the prosecutions are well worth the effort — reaping more than $15 in recoveries for every $1 it spends, by one estimate.
But critics argue that even large fines are not enough to deter drug companies from unlawful behavior. Only when prosecutors single out individual executives for punishment, they say, will practices begin to change.

“What we’re learning is that money doesn’t deter corporate malfeasance,” said Eliot Spitzer, who, as New York’s attorney general, sued GlaxoSmithKline in 2004 over similar accusations involving Paxil. “The only thing that will work in my view is C.E.O.’s and officials being forced to resign and individual culpability being enforced.”

The federal whistle-blower law, officially the False Claims Act, dates to 1863 and was originally envisioned as a check on war profiteering after the Civil War.

Whistle-blowers get a share of any money recovered by the federal government. So far, according to Patrick Burns, spokesman for the whistle-blower advocacy group Taxpayers Against Fraud, at least $10 billion has been agreed to in settlements this fiscal year, which ends in September.

The settlement, which requires court approval, stems from claims made by four employees of GlaxoSmithKline, including a former senior marketing development manager for the company and a regional vice president, who tipped off the government about a range of improper practices from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s.
Prosecutors said the company had tried to win over doctors by paying for trips to Jamaica and Bermuda, as well as spa treatments and hunting excursions. In the case of Paxil, prosecutors claim GlaxoSmithKline employed several tactics aimed at promoting the use of the drug in children, including helping to publish a medical journal article that misreported data from a clinical trial.

A warning was later added to the drug that Paxil, like other antidepressants, might increase the risk of suicidal thoughts in teenagers. Prosecutors said the company had marketed Wellbutrin for conditions like weight loss and sexual dysfunction when it was approved only to treat major depressive disorder.

They said that in the case of Avandia, whose use was severely restricted in 2010 after it was linked to heart risks, the company had failed to report data from studies detailing the safety risks to the F.D.A.
ImageGlaxoSmithKline diabetes drug Avandia.
GlaxoSmithKline’s diabetes drug Avandia.Credit...Joe Raedle/Getty Images
“Today’s multibillion-dollar settlement is unprecedented in both size and scope,” said James M. Cole, the deputy attorney general. “It underscores the administration’s firm commitment to protecting the American people and holding accountable those who commit health care fraud.”

The initial terms of the settlement were announced in November, and Glaxo had already set aside cash for the settlement. In a statement Monday, the company said it has since changed many of its policies, including no longer rewarding sales representatives for the number of drug prescriptions sold.

Andrew Witty, the chief executive, sought to portray the illegal actions as part of the company’s past.
“Whilst these originate in a different era for the company, they cannot and will not be ignored,” he said in the statement. “On behalf of GSK, I want to express our regret and reiterate that we have learned from the mistakes that were made.”

The three criminal charges involved Paxil, Wellbutrin and Avandia and included a criminal fine of $1 billion. The remaining $2 billion involves fines in connection with a civil settlement over the sales and marketing practices of the blockbuster asthma drug Advair and several other drugs.

Part of the civil settlement also includes claims that the company overcharged the government for drugs. Glaxo did not admit any wrongdoing in the civil settlement.

Despite the large amount, $3 billion represents only a portion of what Glaxo made on the drugs. Avandia, for example, racked up $10.4 billion in sales, Paxil brought in $11.6 billion, and Wellbutrin sales were $5.9 billion during the years covered by the settlement, according to IMS Health, a data group that consults for drugmakers.

“So a $3 billion settlement for half a dozen drugs over 10 years can be rationalized as the cost of doing business,” Mr. Burns said.

Mr. Burns and others have said that to institute real change, executives must be prosecuted criminally or barred from participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, an action known as “exclusion.”

This has occurred in only a handful of cases, and rarely in a case involving a major pharmaceutical company. In 2011, four executives of the medical device company Synthes were sentenced to less than a year in prison for conducting clinical trials that were not authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.
That same year, the former chief executive of K.V. Pharmaceutical was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $1 million for selling misbranded morphine tablets. The previous year, the Department of Health and Human Services excluded him from doing business with the federal government.

Have the self-esteem and confidence to question self-proclaimed authorities driven by profit. Do not fear social rejection because you believe in a different side to a story and support the folks that do not have power or a voice. And fight for justice and vulnerable people always. ❤️