305 Utahns to receive drug refund

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jul 26, 2004

Drug manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb will refund 305 Utahns a total of $177,000 this week as part of a $41 million settlement, said Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff.

The 305 Utahns had filed valid claims in the lawsuit against the manufacturer for allegedly lying to the Food and Drug Administration and conspiring to keep generic versions of the drug BuSpar from entering the market.

BuSpar is a prescription drug for treating general anxiety disorder.

The amount BuSpar consumers are being refunded is determined by how much of the drug was purchased between Jan. 1, 1998, and Jan. 31, 2003.

The average refund for Utahns who filed valid claims during the court-established claims period ending Dec. 5, 2003, is $581.

The multi-state antitrust lawsuit was filed against Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Watson Pharma Inc., and Danbury Pharmacal Inc. in 2001 and was settled in 2003.