WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Maryland has acquitted a former lawyer for
GlaxoSmithKline who was charged by federal prosecutors with obstructing justice
and making false claims about the company’s marketing efforts.

Judge Roger Titus of the U.S. District Court for Maryland threw out the
case against Lauren Stevens on Monday before it went to the jury. Direct
verdicts that exclude jurors are rare.

The ruling is a setback for the Department of Justice. It
had accused Stevens of providing false information to the Food and Drug
Administration about whether GlaxoSmithKline promoted its antidepressant
Wellbutrin for unapproved uses.

The case marked the first time federal prosecutors had
targeted an individual pharmaceutical executive for wrongdoing instead of an
entire company.

Stevens served as vice president for legal affairs in GlaxoSmithKline’s
North Carolina
offices.