Pfizer, the world’s largest drug company, has agreed to pay $2.3bn (£1.4bn; €1.6bn) to settle charges of fraud and civil and criminal liability over its promotion of off-label use of four drugs.

The US Department of Justice said it was the largest healthcare fraud settlement in the department’s history and the largest criminal fine ever.

The New York Times noted that $2.3bn amounted to less than three weeks of Pfizer sales (www.nytimes.com, 3 Sep, “Pfizer to pay $2.3 billion to settle inquiry over marketing”).

Unlike in previous settlements by drug companies, the announcement of the settlement was made at a Washington press conference by …