Schering Plough gets favourable ruling in AWP case

Schering-Plough has announced that it is “gratified” following the decision by the US district court for the district of Massachusetts to rule in favour of the company and dismiss all claims in a class action lawsuit.

The lawsuit involved a number of pharmaceutical companies and the setting of average wholesale prices (AWP) for prescription products, including Schering-Plough branded pharmaceutical products.

“We are gratified that the hard work of our new management team has resulted in Schering-Plough putting another issue from the past substantially behind us,” said Fred Hassan, Schering-Plough chairman and chief executive officer.

Schering-Plough’s generic subsidiary Warrick Pharmaceuticals was found to have limited liability in respect of albuterol sulfate solution, for the years 1998 and 1999.

Warrick was, however, found to have no liability from1991 through to1997 and from 2000 through to 2003, something Schering-Plough was “pleased” about.

Schering-Plough was first established in the late 1800s as a subsidiary of Schering AG. Last year it had net sales of $10.6 billion.