Wilmington, Delaware

DAIICHI Sankyo Inc's settlement of thousands of lawsuits blaming the company's blood pressure drugs for causing intestinal damage brings to US$339 million the amount the drugmaker has paid for its handling of the medicines.

Daiichi officials agreed on Monday to pay US$300 million to resolve patient suits over its Benicar, Benicar HCT, Azor and Tribenzor blood pressure treatments. The accord comes more than two years after the Chuo-Ku, Japan-based company paid US$39 million to resolve the US government's allegations that it paid illegal kickbacks to doctors who prescribed the medicines.