Attorney General settles $6.8 million Baxter International lawsuit

2009-07-30 01:15:41 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Justice News Flash)

Wiki Image:Baxter International loses $6.8 million drug injury claim

Baxter International, Inc., a medical product maker settled drug injury lawsuit with Illinois Attorney General for $6.8 million. Deerfield based medical device and drug manufacturing giant, Baxter, was accused of inflating prices of drugs used by poor patients.

Illinois Attorney General, the state’s top government lawyer claims prescription drug lawsuit victory against Baxter International.

Chicago, IL–Illinois Attorney, Lisa Madigan, announced a $6.8 million settlement victory on Monday against Baxter International, an American healthcare company based in Deerfield with worldwide sales of $12.3 billion. The top government lawyer for the state of Illinois filed a lawsuit in 2005, accusing the medical product giant of intentionally inflating the prices of medications used by poor patients in Illinois, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.

The leading attorney for the Illinois government further alleged Baxter and other drug makers manipulated average wholesale prices of prescription drugs to overcharge the indigent and underserved patients in Illinois who desperately needed the medications to treat their illnesses and diseases. The overinflated prices by Baxter and other drug makers were then billed to government health insurance programs like Medicaid. According to court documents the settlement agreement outlines over two dozen over priced medications by Baxter.

Legal news reports for Illinois government lawyers for health and law by Heather L. Ryan, Senior Law and Justice Correspondent