Becton Dickinson to close the books on a $45 million antitrust lawsuit

A New Jersey Judge grants preliminary approval for a $45 million settlement to resolve a years-long antitrust dispute against Becton Dickinson.

Healthcare giant Becton Dickinson & Co. [1] (NYSE:BDX [2]) may finally close the books on a years-long lawsuit after a New Jersey judge authorized a $45 million settlement to the company's hypodermic product purchasers.

If finalized, the settlement would resolve complaints initially raised in 2005 by Becton's hypodermic needle purchasers, which claimed that the company had schemed illegally to artificially increase the prices for its products.