FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Danna Hayes
Danna.hayes@maine.gov
Attorney General Aaron M. Frey Announces Significant Updates in Multistate Litigation Against Generic Drug Manufacturers Over Conspiracies to Inflate Prices and Limit Competition
Consumers Who Purchased Certain Generic Prescription Drugs in the United States between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2018 Might Be Eligible for Money
AUGUSTA – Attorney General Aaron M. Frey today announced two significant cooperation agreements and settlements with Heritage Pharmaceuticals and a second corporation totaling $49.1 million. The agreements resolve allegations that both companies engaged in widespread, long-running conspiracies to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and unreasonably restrain trade of numerous generic prescription drugs. As part of their settlement agreements, both companies have agreed to cooperate in the ongoing multistate litigations led by Connecticut against 30 corporate defendants and 25 individual executives. Both companies have further agreed to a series of internal reforms to ensure fair competition and compliance with antitrust laws. The $10 million settlement with Heritage will be filed today in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut in Hartford. A settlement with the second corporation for $39.1 million and will be finalized and filed in the U.S. District Court in the near future. The name of the second corporation will be disclosed once the settlement is filed.
The settlements come as the states prepare for the first trial to be held in Hartford, Connecticut.
If consumers purchased a generic prescription drug manufactured by Heritage or the forthcoming second corporation between 2010 and 2018, they may be eligible for compensation. To determine eligibility, call 1-866-290-0182 (Toll-Free), email info@AGGenericDrugs.com or visit www.AGGenericDrugs.com.
“While too many Mainers struggle with prescription costs, these defendants colluded to make themselves rich and made it harder for consumers to access critical health care,” said Attorney General Frey. “This settlement brings some measure of accountability and it is one way in which I am working with attorneys general across the national to tackle high prescription drug prices.”
The cases all stem from an investigation built on evidence from several cooperating witnesses at the core of the conspiracy, a massive document database of over 20 million documents, and a phone records database containing millions of call detail records and contact information for over 600 sales and pricing individuals in the generics industry. The complaints lay out an interconnected web of industry executives where these competitors met with each other during industry dinners, girls’ nights out"