Bayer Cipro Class Action Lawsuit Settlement

A federal judge has approved a $74 million class action lawsuit settlement between Bayer Corp. and consumers who say the company conspired with other drug manufacturers to keep lower-cost generic versions of the drug Cipro off the market. Consumers who purchased Cipro in California between 1997 and 2004 can claim at least $25 cash – maybe more – from the class action settlement.

The Cipro settlement is with Bayer Corp. only; the case against the other manufacturers continues.

Plaintiffs accuse Bayer, Barr Laboratories Inc., Hoechst Marion Rousse, Inc., Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc., and The Rugby Group Inc. of violating antitrust and consumer protection laws by agreeing not to compete with each other, and by keeping lower-cost generic versions of Cipro off the market.  The manufacturers deny these claims. Bayer agreed to settle its portion of the case to avoid the cost of further litigation.

No one is claiming that Cipro is unsafe or ineffective.

Who’s Eligible

Class Members of the Bayer Cipro settlement include all persons and entities that purchased the prescription antibiotic drug Cipro in California between January 8, 1997 and October 31, 2004.

The Class includes both consumers and third-party payors:

• Consumer Class Members are people that paid for some or all of the cost of Cipro in California. A Consumer Class Member purchased Cipro from a pharmacy or was administered Cipro in a hospital. These Class Members must have lived in California at any time between January 8, 1997 and October 31, 2004, and paid for some or all of the total cost of a Cipro prescription in California during that time.
• A Third-Party Payor Class Member is an entity that is a party to a contract, issuer of a policy, or sponsor of a plan, and that must pay or reimburse all or part of the cost of Cipro dispensed to its California members.

Potential Award

The amount of money you can receive from the Cipro class action settlement will be based on how many people file valid claims, but it will be at least $25.

Claim Form

Cipro Consumer Settlement
PO Box 3034
Faribault, MN 55021-2633

Cipro TPP Settlement
PO Box 3033
Faribault, MN 55021-2633

Claim Form Deadline

3/31/14

UPDATE: Settlement checks were mailed the week of Feb. 12, 2015.

Case Name

Cipro Cases I & II, Case Nos. 4154 and 4220, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Diego.

Final Hearing

11/15/13

UPDATE: A federal judge granted final approval to the Bayer Cipro settlement at the Final Fairness Hearing.

Settlement Website

www.CiproSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Rust Consulting
PO Box 3034
Faribault, MN 55021-2633
Toll Free Hotline 1-866-404-0135

Class Counsel

Eric B. Fastiff
LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN, LLP

Dan Drachler
ZWERLING, SCHACHTER & ZWERLING, LLP

Joseph R. Saveri
JOSEPH SAVERI LAW FIRM, INC.

Ralph Kalfayan
KRAUSE, KALFAYAN, SLAVENS & BENINK, LLP