Plavix Lawsuit: Texas Is Suing, Hawaii Settled — Patients Get No Check
Questions about this case?
AI Legal Assistant · free · answers in seconds · general information, not legal advice
The Plavix lawsuit in the news is a state case, not a class action. Texas sued Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi in November 2025, alleging they hid that the blood thinner (generic name clopidogrel) worked poorly or not at all for many patients. Hawaii settled the same kind of claim for $700 million in May 2025 — and that money went to the state. As of October 2026 there is no Plavix settlement for individual patients, no fund and no claim form.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the States Allege
Plavix is meant to prevent heart attacks, strokes and blood clots. It has to be activated in the liver, and the Texas petition alleges the makers knew from internal reports that an enzyme called CYP2C19 drives that activation — and that the enzyme works poorly in many people, with the highest rates among non-Caucasian patients.
Texas alleges the companies failed to warn doctors and patients that Plavix had “diminished or no effect” for many patients, particularly Black, East Asian and Pacific Islander patients. The petition covers marketing from the drug’s launch in December 1998 until the FDA required a boxed warning in or after March 2010. Texas says this violated the Texas Health Care Program Fraud Prevention Act and consumer protection law, and wasted Texas Medicaid money. The companies have gone to court to try to stop the case.
Case Details
Texas (active): The State of Texas and The State of Texas ex rel. JKJ Partnership 2011, LP v. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company et al., filed in the 71st Judicial District Court, Harrison County, Texas. A private whistleblower (qui tam relator) is a co-plaintiff. The companies removed the case to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas; it was sent back to Harrison County in March 2026.
The companies also sued the Texas Attorney General in Travis County to stop the case. On April 28, 2026 that court put their suit on hold (abated) pending the Harrison County case; on June 4, 2026 the companies asked a Texas appeals court to vacate that ruling.
Hawaii (settled): State of Hawai‘i ex rel. Lopez v. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company et al., Civil No. 1CC141000708, First Circuit Court. Settled May 9, 2025 — see the state’s announcement.
Status: Texas Pending, No Patient Settlement
This is the attorney general suing on behalf of the state, mainly over Medicaid spending and penalties. It is not a class action. If Texas wins or settles, the money is expected to go to the state, as it did in Hawaii. Anything promising a “Plavix settlement payment” to patients today describes something that does not exist.
Follow this case
There's no claim deadline yet. We'll email you if a settlement opens a claim period.
Who Is Affected
You are not a party to the Texas or Hawaii cases, even if you took Plavix in those states. There is nothing to join and no form to file.
Individual injury claims are a separate track. Personal-injury suits from earlier years were gathered in federal court in New Jersey (MDL No. 2418, created in February 2013). According to defense counsel, that product liability litigation ended in August 2018 with a final summary judgment win for the companies — “without a single trial.” Anyone thinking about a new individual claim should know that deadlines (statutes of limitations) usually run from when you knew or should have known about the injury, and Plavix has carried a boxed warning since about 2010. Only a licensed attorney can tell you whether a claim is still possible.
What Plavix Cases Have Paid — and to Whom
Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia and California filed similar suits before Hawaii. For individual patients: no settlement, no fund, no claim form. Texas has not been valued by any court.
Plavix Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
December 1998 — Plavix Launches
Per the Texas petition, the companies begin selling Plavix and, it alleges, market it without disclosing the poor-response risk.
- 2
March 2010 — Boxed Warning
A boxed warning is added to the Plavix label at the FDA’s insistence in or after March 2010, according to the Texas petition.
- 3
2014 — Hawaii Sues
Hawaii becomes the fifth state to sue over Plavix marketing, after Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia and California.
- 4
May 2024 — $916 Million Judgment
Judge James Ashford of Hawaii’s First Circuit Court orders the companies to pay a combined $916 million. They announce an appeal.
- 5
May 9, 2025 — Hawaii Settles for $700 Million
Hawaii and the companies settle for $700 million, due to be paid to the state by June 9, 2025. No patient claim process exists.
- 6
November 2025 – June 2026 — Texas Sues
Texas files in Harrison County; the case is remanded there in March 2026. The companies’ counter-suit is abated April 28, 2026; they seek appellate review June 4, 2026.
Three Things to Watch For
Big headline numbers with no patient claim process attract imposters and aggressive marketing:
“Claim your share of the $700 million”
The Hawaii money was due to the State of Hawai‘i by June 9, 2025, not to patients. There was never a patient claim form. A site asking for your Social Security number or prescription history to “release your share” is collecting data, not filing anything.
“You qualify for the Texas Plavix settlement”
As of October 2026 there is no Texas settlement, and the case is brought by the state, not a patient class. No real administrator calls asking for a fee, bank details or Medicaid ID.
“New Plavix lawsuit — sign up now” ads
Lead-generation ads use the state cases to sign up patients for individual claims. A retainer is a legal contract, not a registration — ask how the firm handles the earlier court rulings and filing deadlines before you sign.
Plavix Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a Plavix class action settlement I can file a claim in?
No. As of October 2026 there is no Plavix settlement for patients, no fund and no claim form. The recent cases are state attorney general suits: Hawaii settled for $700 million in May 2025 (paid to the state), and Texas is still litigating.
What is the Texas Plavix lawsuit about?
Texas alleges Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi failed to disclose that Plavix had diminished or no effect for many patients, particularly Black, East Asian and Pacific Islander patients, in violation of the Texas Health Care Program Fraud Prevention Act. It seeks penalties and injunctive relief. The companies have sued to try to stop the case.
Where does the Texas case stand?
It was filed in November 2025 in Harrison County, moved to federal court, and sent back to Harrison County in March 2026. In its July 30, 2026 filing, Bristol-Myers Squibb said no trial date had been set.
Did Hawaii residents who took Plavix get money?
No individual payments were part of the settlement. The $700 million was due to be paid to the state by June 9, 2025, and the Governor said that once it reached the general fund the state would look for ways to enhance health care services.
Why does Plavix work less well for some people?
Plavix must be activated in the liver. The lawsuits allege that variants of the CYP2C19 enzyme leave many patients as “poor metabolizers,” with higher rates among non-Caucasian patients. The Hawaii judge found a risk that about 30% of patients might have a diminished response.
Can I still file my own Plavix injury lawsuit?
Possibly not. The earlier personal-injury litigation, including federal MDL No. 2418 in New Jersey, ended in 2018 without a trial, according to defense counsel, and filing deadlines may have passed for older injuries. A licensed attorney in your state can check your dates.
Should I stop taking clopidogrel because of the lawsuit?
Talk to your doctor before changing any heart medication — the lawsuits are about past labeling and marketing. If you are worried about whether it works for you, ask your doctor about genetic testing or alternatives.
Which other states have sued over Plavix?
Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia and California sued before Hawaii, which filed in 2014. Texas filed in November 2025. To see settlements that are actually open for claims, check our list of open class action settlements.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
Related Consumer Brand Lawsuits
Open Class Action Settlements
Settlements currently accepting claims, with deadlines
Settlement Payout Calculator
Estimate what a class action claim may actually pay
Medical Malpractice Calculator
How individual medical injury claims are valued
Find a Personal Injury Lawyer
What to check before you sign with an attorney