The marketers of the world’s second-largest-selling drug dodged a major threat to their revenues two months ago by reaching a deal to keep a generic competitor at bay until at least 2011.
Now, 10 lawsuits have been filed over the settlement Sanofi-Aventis SA and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co reached with Apotex Inc., a generic manufacturer challenging blood thinner Plavix’s patent. The suits, filed by businesses, unions and health plans, allege the deal violates antitrust laws by denying access to cheap, generic versions of Plavix.
