Refunds for consumers from US antitrust deal?

Consumers who bought generic clorazepate and lorazepam during January1998-December 1999 may be entitled to refunds from the $100 million antitrust deal with Mylan Laboratories over the suit filed in 1998 by 33 US states and the Federal Trade Commission, claiming that Mylan and others caused the drugs' prices to rise over 2,000% (Marketletter March 15, 1999).

Under the deal, $72 million is to be set aside to provide restitution to consumers, and those who were not reimbursed by insurance may be entitled to a refund. The remaining $28 million will be used to reimburse states for agencies affected by the price increases and costs of the investigation and litigation.

Announcing the claim period, which will run from June 1 to September 29, Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan said his office "will continue its aggressive pursuit of any company that illegally exploits consumers in need of medicine." In this case, he added, "the exploitation was particularly egregious because the defendants dramatically and illegally raised prices on drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease."