McKesson Corp. must face a class-action lawsuit filed by consumers and third-party payers claiming the drug distributor illegally inflated the wholesale price of prescription medicines, according to a recent court ruling by a U.S. District Court. The class action was certified on Wednesday.
The judge initially certified the suit in August 2007, but not for damages, which the most recent ruling includes. Attorneys estimate that damages on behalf of consumers could total from $200 to $800 million and damages on behalf of third-party payers will exceed $5 billion.
The lawsuit claims McKesson violated the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) act, and if found guilty, could be forced to pay treble damages.
The suit, originally …
