Bayer Faces Over 2,000 Lawsuits In Wake Of Lipobay Scandal

By Agence France-Presse German pharmaceuticals giant Bayer AG said Aug. 7 it was facing more than 2,000 lawsuits in the wake of a scandal surrounding its disgraced anti-cholesterol drug Lipobay/Baycol, which is suspected of having caused the deaths of around 100 people. Most of the lawsuits had been filed in the United States, said Bayer spokesman Guenter Forneck. "There are 36 suits outside the U.S.," he added. The number of suits filed is not necessarily equivalent to the number of people actually suing the Leverkusen-based company, since it also includes class-action suits filed on behalf of groups of individuals. Bayer was forced to pull Lipobay, previously regarded as one of its most promising drugs, from the market in August 2001, plunging the hitherto highly profitable pharmaceuticals group into financial crisis. Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2002