A federal judge in New York tentatively scrapped two antitrust cases: one concerning direct purchasers like CVS and Walgreens and another with end payers as the plaintiffs. The drugmaker defendants were accused of delaying the market entry of copycats of the hypertension blockbuster, which AbbVie snagged by way of its US$63 billion megamerger with Allergan.
Judge Lewis Liman dismissed complaints from both sets of plaintiffs, giving them until February 22 to file an amended complaint. The court’s opinion is temporarily sealed to provide time to make redactions but will be made public on January 31, according to court documents filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Monday, January 24.
The case that pits plaintiffs Walgreens, Kroger, Albertsons, and HEB against drugmakers AbbVie, Allergan, Hetero Labs, Glenmark, Amerigen, and Teva Pharmaceutical concerns claims that the pharmas schemed to boost profits by keeping lower-cost generics of AbbVie’s blood pressure drug off the market.
Monday’s decision is rooted in a 2013 Bystolic settlement with numerous generic drugmakers including Actavis, Alkem, Amerigen, Glenmark, Hetero, Indchemie, and Torrent, many of which are also involved in the antitrust litigation.
The settlement provided licenses for the companies to market their Bystolic copycats. In response, direct purchasers sued, alleging that those settlements violated antitrust laws.
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
EU Regulators Set to Clear Microsoft’s $13B OpenAI Investment
Apr 17, 2024 by
CPI
Biden Pledges to Block US Steel Acquisition by Japanese Firm
Apr 17, 2024 by
CPI
Canada Targets Tech Titans with New Digital Tax in 2024
Apr 17, 2024 by
CPI
EU Privacy Watchdog Calls for Meta to Offer Ad-Free Option
Apr 17, 2024 by
CPI
Japan’s Antitrust Overhaul Targets Tech Titans Like Apple
Apr 17, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – China Edition – Year of the Dragon
Apr 16, 2024 by
CPI
Review Logic and Rules for Concentrations of Undertakings that Do Not Meet the Standard of Notification
Apr 16, 2024 by
CPI
China’s Review of Semiconductor Transactions
Apr 16, 2024 by
CPI
Key Challenges and Tips for Merger Control Filing in China for Listed Companies
Apr 16, 2024 by
CPI
Key Point Review: China SPC Antitrust Judgments in 2023
Apr 16, 2024 by
CPI