Arizona AG announces settlements over generic drug prices

PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Monday two settlements worth $17.85 million with a pair of companies over generic drug prices.

She joined 48 states and territories on the settlements with Lannett Company Inc. and Bausch Health US, LLC and Bausch Health Americas Inc. The lawsuit alleged the companies conspired “to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition and unreasonably restrain trade with regard to numerous generic prescription drugs,” according to a press release.

Mayes labeled the prices “illegally high” and said the exposing of “the dark underbelly of corporate greed” was the main reason she ran for office.

“We’re not going to stop going after these greedy corporations who are rigging the system against hardworking Arizonans,” Mayes said. “There’s something particularly sinister about large pharmaceutical manufacturers rigging the system for medicine, which many times consumers have no choice but to continue to purchase. It’s gross.”

In addition to the two settlements, Mayes said a new lawsuit will be filed by 42 states and territories, including Arizona, against Novartis and subsidiaries Sandoz Group AG and Sandoz AG for conspiracy “to fix prices, allocate markets and rig bids for 31 different generic drugs.”

A total of three antitrust cases are being led by the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General, which all originate from a series of investigations built upon more than 20 million documents and contact information of more than 600 “sales and pricing individuals in the generics industry.”

The Lannett and Bausch settlements over generic drug prices can be read in full online.

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