HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania patients who used the cancer drug Taxol or its generic equivalent, paclitaxel, may be eligible to receive a portion of a $12.5 million settlement from the drug maker. The deadline for filing claims is extended to Jan. 31, 2004.
Pat Halpin-Murphy, president and founder of the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, applauded Attorney General Mike Fisher for reaching this settlement for all cancer survivors in Pennsylvania and urged PA residents who are eligible to apply.
“This is a significant victory for the breast cancer survivors in Pennsylvania who were overcharged for their chemotherapy treatments,” Halpin- Murphy said. “Patients who are battling cancer should not have to worry about whether or not they are paying a fair price for their medication and I would like to thank Attorney General Mike Fisher for making sure that all PA residents are protected.”
Cancer patients who took the medication Taxol or its generic equivalent paclitaxel between January 1, 1999 and February 28, 2003, or their heirs, may be entitled to money from the fund created as part of the settlement of a nationwide antitrust lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed by all 50 states, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories in 2002, alleged that the drug manufacturer unlawfully blocked less expensive generic drugs from entering the marketplace.
Refunds are available to residents who: -- Received Taxol or Paclitaxel from January 1, 1999 through February 28, 2003. -- Were charged a co-payment by their insurance provider for the drugs or did not have insurance coverage and paid for the drugs on their own. -- Are the legal representative of a deceased patient who paid for all or part of the drug treatments during the four-year time period.
For more information on reimbursement and eligibility go to the Attorney General’s website at http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/. Refund claim forms are available by calling 1-800-659-7609 or by visiting http://www.taxolsettlement.com/. Claims must be submitted by January 31, 2004.
The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, founded in 1993, is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the breast cancer epidemic through research, education, outreach and advocacy. As the only statewide grassroots organization that speaks to and for breast cancer survivors, the PBCC serves each of the Commonwealth’s 67 counties through the State Income Tax Check-Off for Breast and Cervical Cancer Research, Mother’s Day Mammograms(R), the Keystone Breast Cancer Conference, Friends Like Me, and the traveling photo exhibit, “67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania.” For more information about the PA Breast Cancer Coalition visit http://www.pabreastcancer.org/ or call 1-800-377-8828 x 101.
Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition
CONTACT: Jennifer Fetich, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition,+1-717-738-9567 x101
Web site: http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/
Web site: http://www.taxolsettlement.com/
Web site: http://www.pabreastcancer.org/
