Arizona AG joins antitrust lawsuit against 20 generic drug manufacturers

PHOENIX — Arizona’s Mark Brnovich was one of 44 state attorneys general who filed an antitrust lawsuit against 20 drug manufacturers, it was announced Sunday.

The lawsuit alleges the companies conspired to artificially inflate prices, reduce competition and restrain trade for more than 100 drugs, according to an Arizona Attorney General’s Office press release.

Fifteen executives who were responsible for sales, marketing, pricing and operations at their respective companies were also named in the lawsuit.

The suit claims that the executives conspired with each other during dinners, “girls nights out,” cocktail parties and golf outings.

According to the lawsuit, the schemes affected the health insurance market, Medicare and Medicaid, and consumers who paid the artificially inflated prices.

In some instances, the suit alleges, those prices were inflated by more than 1,000%.

“My office is committed to ensuring that Arizona consumers are not harmed by drug manufacturers conspiring to raise drug prices,” Brnovich said in the release.

“Market forces should drive the cost of generic drugs, not drug manufacturers who rake in billions in profits through alleged collusion while consumers’ pocketbooks – and, in some cases, their health – suffer from skyrocketing prices.”

The lawsuit seeks damages, civil penalties, the payback of “ill-gotten gains” and an injunction to prevent the unlawful conduct and restore competition to the market.

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