Out-of-court Baycol settlements are on the rise despite Bayer Corporation's victories in the first two cases to go to trial. Bayer announced Wednesday that the pharmaceutical maker has settled 785 Baycol lawsuits (27 involving deaths from the drug) at a cost of $240 million. At the time of Bayer's successful first trials in March and April, the company had settled 450 cases totaling $125 million. An additional 8,800 cases are reportedly still pending.

Over 700,000 Americans took Baycol, also known as cerivastatin, before health officials removed the drug from the market in August 2001. In severe cases, Baycol can cause rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which muscle cells deteriorate and are released into the blood stream, leading to kidney failure and possibly death.