Update January 2010: Abbott has agreed to settle Tricor related claims filed by 22 states and the District of Columbia in the District of Delaware for $22.5 million.
Update April 2009: The settlement amount has increased to $250 million, and a number of cases filed by various states and the District of Columbia based on the same allegations continue to move forward.
Abbott Labs agreed to settle for $184 million numerous claims that it had blocked the generic version of its Tricor cholesterol drug. The plaintiffs, including competitors and purchasers, alleged that Abbott conspired with its French partner to file frivolous patent infringement law suits and to alter the formulation of TriCor with the intent to inhibit the introduction of a generic version.