Amgen, the world’s largest biotech company by revenue, pleaded guilty yesterday to charges in the US that it illegally marketed one of its best-selling drugs and agreed to pay more than $700 million (€529 million) in fines.

Amgen has been ensnared in whistle-blower lawsuits around its branding of Aranesp, for anaemia.

It was accused of enticing doctors with kickbacks and free samples of the medicine so they would use it instead of cheaper alternatives, billing Medicare and private insurers. It was also accused of promoting the drug “off-label” to treat anaemia caused by cancer, even though it was not approved for that purpose.

Amgen agreed to a $612 million civil settlement, a $14 million forfeiture and $136 million in criminal fines. The company said in a filing in September it had set aside $806 million for charges related to the proposed settlement of the suit. – (Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012)