DuPont Agrees to Settle Suits for $44.5 Million
Bloomberg News
DuPont Co. agreed to pay $44.5 million to settle consumer lawsuits accusing the second-largest U.S. chemical company’s drug unit of seeking to monopolize the market for blood-thinning drugs.
A federal judge in Delaware gave preliminary approval to the settlement of five antitrust lawsuits over DuPont’s campaign to block approval of a generic version of its blood thinner Coumadin, DuPont officials said.
The settlement comes as Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont prepares to sell its drug unit to Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. for $7.8 billion. DuPont officials said the sale is scheduled to close in the fourth quarter but could occur as soon as next month.
DuPont shares rose 29 cents to close at $42.86 on the NYSE.
