Checks are in the mail in settlement of heart medication lawsuit

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Attorney General Drew Edmondson says checks are in the mail to Oklahomans who overpaid for a commonly prescribed heart medication.<br/><br/>Edmondson says more than $300,000 is being

Friday, July 22nd 2005, 1:58 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Attorney General Drew Edmondson says checks are in the mail to Oklahomans who overpaid for a commonly prescribed heart medication.

Edmondson says more than $300,000 is being paid to 884 Oklahomans by Aventis with checks ranging from $10 to nearly $3,600.

Aventis is the maker of the drug Cardizem CD that's used to treat high blood pressure, chest pains and heart disease.

The lawsuit against Aventis accused the company of paying another drug-maker nearly $90-million to keep a generic form of Cardizem off the market. Oklahoma, 26 other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico filed the lawsuit.

Edmondson says state agencies will receive more than $169,000 from the settlement.