March 21st, 2019 by WCBC Radio

The West Virginia Attorney General’s Office has finalized a $3.2 million settlement with drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and marketer Sanofi-Aventis in relation to their marketing of the prescription blood thinner Plavix.
 
The settlement resolves allegations related to efforts by the companies to label, distribute, market, price, promote, advertise and sell Plavix.
 
Specifically, the Attorney General’s Office alleged the defendants acted in an unfair and deceptive manner by marketing Plavix as a superior drug to aspirin with a much higher price, despite evidence showing Plavix had no better effect than aspirin for certain usages.
 
Settlement terms required Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis to individually pay $1.6 million.
 
The Attorney General’s Office also reached an agreement to cap attorney fees at 25 percent saving the state approximately $200,000 consistent with the Attorney General’s outside counsel policy, which has saved the state more than $4 million since implementation. The policy is now state law.
 
Bristol-Myers Squibb manufactured Plavix and had entered into a marketing partnership with Sanofi-Aventis. The companies are headquartered in New York and New Jersey, respectively.
 
Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi-Aventis and its named subsidiaries denied any and all wrongdoing. All parties agreed to the settlement to avoid the delay, expense and inconvenience of continued litigation.
 
Read a copy of the settlement at http://bit.ly/2WgX17X and the dismissal order at http://bit.ly/2JsxBm5.