US: Sun Pharma accused in court of collusive price fixing

A New York grocery workers’ union filed a class action suit in a Pennsylvania federal court last week against Sun Pharamceutical Industries in the US for colluding with Mylan for conspiring to raise the price of generic asthma medicine. The same union also filed another suit for similar charges against Mylan and Sandoz for colluding to boost the cost of another generic asthma medicine.

The complaint stated that Sun Pharmaceuticals and Mylan had raised their prices for albuterol sulfate over 3,000 per cent between October 2013 and April 2014. Business Standard has reviewed a copy of the complaint. Sun Pharma did not respond to email query sent to the company.

“Beginning in May 2013, defendants caused the price of albuterol sulfate to dramatically increase in unison,” said the complaint. “The increases were the result of an agreement among defendants to increase pricing and restrain competition for the sale of albuterol sulfate in the United States,” it said. The complaint detailed the meetings including meetings in Bethesda, Maryland in October 2012 and June 2013 that were attended by defendants.

Full Content: Law 360

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