Bristol-Myers Gets First Nod for $11 Million HIV Drug Settlement

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. inched closer to exiting antitrust litigation over Gilead Sciences Inc.'s blockbuster HIV drugs, when a federal judge in San Francisco granted preliminary approval to its $11 million class action settlement with wholesalers leading part of the case.

Judge Edward M. Chen signed off tentatively on the deal resolving claims brought by direct purchasers against Bristol-Myers in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. He scheduled a Sept. 15 final fairness hearing.

The June 3 preliminary ruling came about a month after Chen approved a $10 million pact with consumers, health plans, and other end ...