US: Generics “cartel” probe expands to 300 drugs

Years into a government probe over alleged generic drug price fixing, investigators have expanded the scope to include 300 drugs and 16 companies, an official told The Washington Post.

Connecticut Assistant Attorney General Joseph Nielsen told the Post it’s “most likely the largest cartel in the history of the United States.” And he knows the allegations well: Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen has been investigating generic pricing collusion since 2014 in a probe that started with just two drugs. So far, the investigation has already yielded guilty pleas from two former executives of Heritage Pharmaceuticals who are now cooperating with investigators.

The lawsuit and related cases picked up steam last month when a federal judge ruled that more than 1 million emails, cell phone texts, and other documents cited as evidence could be shared among all plaintiffs.

“This is most likely the largest cartel in the history of the United States,” Nielsen said. He cited the volume of drugs in the schemes, that they took place on American soil and the “total number of companies involved, and individuals.”

Full Content: Washington Post

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