The wrinkle reducer, Botox is approved by the FDA for very narrow uses only. But Allergan, its manufacturer, has promoted it to doctors all over the country for other uses, including muscle spasms. A doctor’s use of a drug for a purpose not approved by the FDA is often referred to as an “off-label” use. When a doctor used Botox “off-label” to treat Virginian Douglas Ray for hand tremors, it quickly led to brain damage. According to his wife, he now requires round-the-clock care and speaks very few words.

Botox is a purified form of the poison botulinum and is given as an injection. The drug is approved to treat “muscle stiffness” in the fingers and arms, “upper limb” spasticity, and chronic migraine headaches. Botox can migrate outside the injected muscles and cause side effects including botulism and severe autoimmune reactions with resulting brain damage.

Ray claimed Allergan did not properly warn his doctor about the risks of using the drug. A jury agreed, ordering Allergan Inc. to pay to Ray $12 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages. This award by the U.S. District Court jury in Richmond, Va., was the largest penalty ever in a Botox injury case.

Botox is Allergan’s top-selling drug, with $1.42 billion in sales last year, or 29 percent of the drug maker’s revenue, according to data collected by Bloomberg.

This is not the first time the Botox manufacturer has had to pay penalties. In September of 2010, the federal government ordered Allergan to pay $600 million to settle civil and criminal allegations against the drug manufacturer for illegally marketing Botox for other uses. Allergan has also been accused of paying kickbacks to doctors and enticing them with all expense paid weekends to learn about off-label usage.