Johnson & Johnson will officially settle its legal battle with the U.S Government for inaccurately marketing the purposes of three prescription drugs and providing kickbacks to physicians, Reuters reported.

The pharmaceutical giant will pay $2.2 billion or $485 million in fines and forfeitures and $1.72 billion to state and federal governments, according to a press release.

"The conduct at issue in this case jeopardized the health and safety of patients and damaged the public trust," Attorney General Eric Holder said in the press release. "This multibillion-dollar resolution demonstrates the Justice Department's firm commitment to preventing and combating all forms of health care fraud. And it proves our determination to hold accountable any corporation that breaks the law and enriches its bottom line at the expense of the American people."

Johnson & Johnson, in conjunction with its subsidiary company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, promoted the prescription drugs Risperdal, Invega and Natrecor in ways not approved by the Federal Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Justice reported.

In selling Risperdal, for example, Johnson & Johnson sales associates marketed the drug as a treatment for dementia, whereas the FDA only approved it for schizophrenia, according to the press release. To drive sales, the company provided its reps with scripts that de-emphasized its FDA-approved uses. Consequently, salary bonuses for sales reps were based solely on total number of sales, and not just for sales pertaining to FDA-approved uses.

Risperdal also had certain side effects that Johnson & Johnson either de-emphasized or chose not to acknowledge, according to the report. The FDA warned the company several times that marketing the drug as safe would be "misleading" to elderly patients.

To promote Risperdal and other drugs, Johnson & Johnson officials paid doctors to speak positively about the drugs and only offered such arrangements if doctors kept up with prescriptions, according to the report.

In general, the case filed against Johnson & Johnson alleges the company preyed on the "most vulnerable populations of our society - children, the elderly and those with developmental disabilities," U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Zane Memeger said.

"This historic settlement sends the message that drug manufacturers who place profits over patient care will face severe criminal and civil penalties," he said.

At $2.2 billion, the settlement is one of the largest ever in pharmaceutical fraud history, according to Reuters.

"Today we reached closure on complex legal matters spanning almost a decade," said Michael Ullman, VP of Johnson & Johnson in the company's press release. "This resolution allows us to move forward and continue to focus on delivering innovative solutions that improve and enhance the health and well-being of patients around the world.

"We remain committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and others to ensure greater clarity around the guidance for pharmaceutical industry practices and standards," he said.