The class action involving the manufacturers of Synthroid® (BASF Corporation, Knoll Pharmaceutical Company and others) has been granted final settlement approval by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.  There were two different settlements and subsequent Notice to claimants during these proceedings.  The first Class Action Settlement Notice took place in 1997-1998; the second Class Action Settlement Notice took place in late 1999 through March 10, 2000.  March 10, 2000 was the Court imposed deadline for filing claims.  No new claims will be accepted. The notice procedure in this case was designed to reach as many readers as possible, and included publication of ads (often full-page in size) in hundreds of newspapers and magazines.  In addition, a website on the internet was maintained.  The final approval hearing was held on April 27, 2000, and the Court granted final settlement approval on August 4, 2000.  Following resolution of several appeals, the District Court entered an Order resolving the last issue in dispute on November 13, 2003.  This allows for the distribution of funds by the Settlement Administrator according to the formula as set forth in the Notice and approved by the Court on August 4, 2000.

Distribution of settlement benefits, including cash payments to qualified class members, begins on December 16, 2003.  If you are entitled to a monetary benefit under the settlement you will receive a check.  Please be aware that it may take some time for checks to reach individual class members.  If you filed a claim prior to the claims deadline and have not received a benefit by January 15, 2004, please call 1-800-853-4853. All checks must be cashed within One Hundred Twenty (120) days of the date shown on the check.   Please note that the attorneys will not provide tax advice in relation to these settlement funds.  Please contact a tax advisor should you need such counseling.

All benefit amounts were calculated under the terms and conditions of the settlement agreement approved by the Court in In re Synthroid® Marketing Litigation, Case No. 97C 6017, MDL No. 1182.  These terms and conditions were outlined in the Notice of Class Action Settlement previously published.  A complete Notice may be downloaded by clicking here.  The approximate amounts of the checks that will be issued to claimants who filed timely claims are as follows:

Those that have been on Synthroid since 1990 - $106

Those that have been on Synthroid since 1995 - $71

For more information, you may also call 1-800-853-4853.  Do not call the Court.