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AG Jepsen Seeks To Expand Pharma Price Fixing Lawsuit

Jacquelyn Martin
/
AP
Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen is leading a 46-state coalition that is suing six drug manufacturers for alleged price fixing. Jepsen now wants to triple the number of pharmaceutical companies named in the lawsuit.  

The companies currently being sued are Heritage Pharmaceuticals, Aurobindo Pharma, Citron Pharma, Mayne Pharma, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, and Teva Pharmaceuticals.

Referring to the medicines the companies manufacture, Jepsen said, “These are drugs that people need to have a normal life, and they’re paying exorbitant prices that they shouldn’t have to pay.”

The attorneys general are asking a federal court for permission to file a new complaint to increase the number of generic drug manufacturer defendants from six to 18, and the number of drugs mentioned in the suit from two to 15.

The new pharmaceutical companies include Actavis Holdco, Actavis Pharma, Ascend Laboratories, Apotex Corp, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Lannett Company, Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Sandoz, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, and Zydus Pharmaceuticals. Some of the medications listed in the lawsuit are used to treat conditions like glaucoma, epilepsy, diabetes, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, anxiety and asthma. Other medications include antibiotics and antifungal treatments.

Jepsen said, “The price increases vary with each drug, but there have been price increases of doubling and tripling. But even price increases that go way beyond tripling and quadrupling, a thousand percent increase.”

The states also want to go after the senior executives at two generic drug companies, Heritage and Mylan.

In a statement, Mylan Pharmaceuticals says they’ve been investigating the allegations and have found no evidence of price fixing at the company. Mylan says it has asked the various attorneys general to share what information they believe supports their allegations. The company says the attorneys general have yet to do so.