Judge thows out part of case against McKesson

BOSTON Part of a lawsuit that a carpenters’ health benefits fund filed against McKesson has been thrown out in a federal court.

The New England Carpenters Health Benefits Fund filed the class-action suit against the drug distributor, alleging that it and Hearst division First DataBank collaborated to inflate drug prices.

The fund alleges that McKesson used its influence in 2001 to get First DataBank to increase the markup for drugs to 25 percent from the previous 20 percent.

McKesson rejected the antitrust claim and praised the judge’s decision.

The rest of the case will continue Dec. 1 in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.