Abbott to settle nutrition-products investigation

Abbott Laboratories said it plans to pay $622 million to settle civil and criminal charges regarding the sale and marketing of liquid nutrition products by Abbott's Ross Products Division. The anticipated settlement would resolve all outstanding government allegations, including Medicare and Medicaid issues, Abbott officials said. The officials said the settlement stems from an industrywide investigation, dating to the mid-1990s, of sales and marketing of intravenous nutrition products for the seriously ill. Abbott learned of the investigation in 2001, they said. The settlement would not affect Ross' ongoing business with customers, including the federal government, they said. -- by Cinda Becker