Federal District Court in California OKs $52 Million Norvir Antitrust Settlement

SAN FRANCISCO—A federal district court judge Aug. 11 approved a $52 million settlement to end a lawsuit by direct purchasers alleging Abbott Laboratories Inc. engaged in predatory pricing of its AIDS drug Norvir (ritonavir) (Meijer Inc. v. Abbott Laboratories Inc.).

Judge Claudia Wilken of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California also approved attorneys’ fees and expenses in the amount of one-third of the gross settlement amount, $17,333,333.

Wilken in April preliminarily approved the settlement (12 CLASS 299, 4/8/11) that was reached after three days of a jury trial including opening statements and ...