Synthroid Lawsuit Settled

Synthroid Lawsuit Settled, Patients Need to File by March 10, 2000

If you purchased the thyroid drug Synthroid between January 1, 1990 and October 21, 1999, you may be eligible to receive as much as $191 in compensation for overpayment for the drug. The thyroid hormone replacement drug Synthroid^TM is a top selling drug in the United States. Synthroid is also the number one thyroid hormone replacement drug in the country. Millions of Americans have taken or currently take this drug as a treatment for hypothyroidism, a condition of deficiency of thyroid hormone.

A class action lawsuit filed against Synthroid's manufacturer, Knoll Pharmaceuticals in May of 1997 appears to have been finally been settled, after several false starts. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has preliminarily approved a settlement, establishing a fund in the amount of $87.4 million, to cover compensation for consumers who lived in the United States or Puerto Rico and purchased Synthroid at any point between January 1, 1990 and October 21, 1999. Each patient may file to recover an amount from approximately $79 to $191, as compensation for overpayments for Synthroid during the 1990 to 1999 period. The actual amount received by claimants will be based on how long they've been using the drug, and how many people ultimately file to be part of the settlement. The full detailed "notice" regarding the lawsuit is available online at http://www.synthroidclaims.com.

How to File a Claim

If you wish to participate in this class action lawsuit, and receive a portion of the settlement, and haven't already filed a claim, you must return you must return a completed proof of claim and release, postmarked no later than March 10, 2000. You can get a claim form online at http://www.synthroidclaims.com/signup. A blank PDF-format claims form is available at http://secure1.synthroidclaims.com/form.pdf.

If You've Filed a Claim

If you've already filed a claim, you don't need to do anything, except update your address if it's changed. You can update your address by calling 1-800-853-4853.

If You Want to Exclude Yourself From the Settlement

If you do not wish to participate in or be bound by this Settlement -- i.e., if you wish to pursue your own lawsuit against Knoll Pharmaceutical -- you need to exclude yourself from the Class and must do so by March 10, 2000. To request exclusion, download a complete notice by going to http://www.synthroidclaims.com/notice.htm.

Questions About How to Make Your Claim?

If you have questions concerning how to make a claim, you can call 1-800-853-4853 to listen to a prerecorded message summarizing the claims procedures. You may leave a message and receive a return phone call from one of the law firms handling the claim.

A detailed FAQ has been posted by Knoll online, located at http://www.synthroidclaims.com/FAQ.htm.

History of the Lawsuit

For a history of the whole lawsuit issue, I suggest you read the Synthroid Information Center