Bayer Accused of Flea Repellent Monopoly in $114 Million Suit

Bayer AG was hit with a $114 million lawsuit accusing the global drug giant of cornering the market for its topical tick-and-flea repellent Advantix through exclusive deals and illegal product bundling.

Bayer sells 85% of the “squeeze-on” repellents and gets patent royalties for most of the rest, according to the July 26 complaint filed by veterinary drug competitor Tevra Brands LLC.

It allegedly won that market dominance through “secret bundled loyalty” packages offering substantial rebates to resellers that hit certain purchasing thresholds or bought the flea collar Seresto, a “must have” product, in addition to Advantix.

Those anti-competitive terms amount ...