Forbes.com reports that AstraZeneca, Schering, Bristol-Myers Squib violated general laws by inflating the average wholesale prices that they reported for certain drugs, including chemotherapies.



According to Steve Berman, the attorney who led the suit, Massachusetts ruling was a test case and trials are planned for the rest of the states. This is just the tip of the iceberg of problems for AstraZeneca and Pfizer.

Bloomberg.com said, ?U.S. District Judge Patti Saris found that AstraZeneca overcharged for Zoladex, a treatment for prostate cancer and levied damages of nearly $4.5 million for one group of plaintiffs. She said the court needed additional information to figure damages for the other. Saris ruled that Bristol-Myers Squibb overcharged for its cancer drugs Taxol, Vepesid, Cytoxan, Blenoxane and Rubex. She levied damages of $183,454 for one group of plaintiffs and is collecting information to figure the other group's damages.?

Althought the judge agreed that Johnson & Johnsons conduct was at times troubling, apparently did not cross the line of ?egregious misconduct? and was cleared of the charges.

Berman said, ?We are also grateful that she found the biggest victims were the patients who had to pay these outrageous prices out of pocket as a result of the defendants wrongful conduct.?

Visit this Consumer Advocacy website for information on ordering medication from an online .