(Phoenix, Arizona—January 21, 2004) Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard announced today that the deadline to file claims in the Taxol® antitrust case has been extended through February 29, 2004. Thousands of claims have already been filed, but due to a substantial increase in the numbers of claims and claim form requests, the deadline has once again been extended. Cancer patients who took the medication Taxol® or its generic equivalent paclitaxel between January 1, 1999, and February 28, 2003, or their heirs, may be entitled to money from a $12.5 million fund created as part of a settlement of a nationwide antitrust lawsuit brought by the Attorneys General of all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the Territories and Commonwealths. The case alleged that the drug makers violated antitrust laws and overcharged consumers purchasing Taxol®/paclitaxel.
The settlement, which provides $55 million in cash and approximately $7.5 million in drugs for medically indigent patients, includes $12.5 million for consumers in restitution for overcharges they paid. Claim registrations and complete information can be obtained at www.taxolsettlement.com or by calling 1-800-659-7609.
It is estimated that as many as 400,000 cancer patients nationwide could be affected by the case. The settlement provides monies to reimburse them, or the legal representative for a deceased Taxol®/ paclitaxel user, some portion of what they paid for the drug or to reimburse insured patients for out-of-pocket costs not paid for by insurers. Individuals could receive funds in the range of $400 - $2,600. Additionally, approximately $7.5 million worth of Taxol® will be provided to the states for compassionate care treatment of lower income cancer patients.
Patients who paid for part or all of their treatments with Taxol® or its generic equivalents from January 1, 1999, through February 28, 2003, are members of the proposed settlement group and can file a claim for recovery.
Claims must now be postmarked by February 29, 2004.