Kansas City, Mo. ? Victims and some of their family members are asking a court to reopen civil cases filed against pharmaceutical companies whose drugs a pharmacist diluted in a fraud scheme.

Pharmacist Robert Courtney is serving a 30-year sentence for adulterating cancer drugs he prepared for 34 cancer patients in the Kansas City region in 2001. He admitted that he also diluted chemotherapy drugs since at least 1992 and had diluted many other drugs.

The Kansas City Star reports lawyers representing 23 parties recently asked a Jackson County judge to reopen the case. They want to throw out more than $70 million in settlements paid by Eli Lilly and Co., and Bristol-Myers-Squibb Co., whose cancer drugs Courtney diluted.

Court records say a hearing could be scheduled in late March or early April.