Court dismisses lawsuit against McKesson
(Reuters) - A federal judge has dismissed a case against McKesson Corp (MCK.N) that alleged the drug wholesaler of unlawful price-fixing, court documents showed on Friday.
Judge Patti Saris granted the company's motion to dismiss, saying the plaintiffs, led by the New England Carpenters Health Benefits Fund, failed to allege any anticompetitive effects.
The suit had alleged that McKesson entered into an agreement with publishing company First DataBank to inflate average drug prices for numerous prescription pharmaceuticals beginning in late 2001.
McKesson had contended that plaintiffs lacked standing to assert claims under the federal antitrust laws because they did not directly purchase the marked-up drugs, court documents showed.
McKesson handles a third of the prescription medications used in North America, and it is one of the largest generic-drug distributors in the United State.
No one was available at McKesson or New England Carpenters Benefit Funds for immediate comments.
(Reporting by Sweta Singh in Bangalore; Editing by David Holmes)
