Officials said today that they had vigorously pursued Mylan because they thought the company's conduct was particularly egregious and had hurt society's most vulnerable members.

''This illegal conduct has cost consumers millions of dollars over the past two years,'' said Betty D. Montgomery, the attorney general of Ohio. ''What makes this behavior even more unconscionable is that these drugs, especially lorazepam, are antianxiety mediations frequently prescribed for nursing home and hospice patients, including those suffering from long-term debilitating conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.''

She added, ''The bulk of the restitution will go back into the pockets of the affected seniors, where it belongs.''

As they have since 1998, Mylan executives said today that they had never violated any antitrust laws. But they said that they had decided to settle because of the continuing costs and uncertainties associated with the lawsuits. Mylan officials estimated that the lawsuits had already cost the company more than $20 million and that recently it had been spending about $6 million every quarter on the litigation.

Company executives also said they were willing to settle the cases for more than the federal government had sought because they feared that the government might try to expand the lawsuit, include broader accusations and seek larger damages. The federal government had sought $120 million, and the amount being sought by the private plaintiffs has not been disclosed.

''This is the first time in Mylan's 39-year history that any government agency has accused us of improper conduct,'' said Milan Puskar, chairman and chief executive of the company, which is based in Pittsburgh. ''We continue to believe we acted properly.''

He added: ''The board and I view these settlements to be in the best interest of our company's shareholders, customers and employees. By putting a significant portion of this case behind us, we can now look forward to devoting our full resources to the business of this company.''