States Drop Inquiry on Barr-Bayer Cipro Pact

Barr Laboratories Inc. said all 50 states, led by Texas, ended an inquiry into whether a 1997 agreement between Barr and Bayer unlawfully delayed generic versions of the antibiotic Cipro.

The Texas attorney general’s office, acting on behalf of the other 49 states and Puerto Rico, was looking into Barr’s agreement to withdraw its patent challenge over Cipro and sign a supply contract with Bayer.

The states said there wasn’t sufficient evidence that the pact was anti-competitive, said a Barr spokeswoman.

The state’s dismissal does not affect an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.

Shares of Pomona, N.Y.-based Barr rose $1.27 to $78.35 on the NYSE.