For some Nevadans, money could be waiting from a series of settlements involving claims that generic drug manufacturers worked together to drive up prices. Consumers who bought certain generic drugs during a 10-year period may now be eligible to receive compensation.<\/p>\n
The U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut has given preliminary approval to a plan that would distribute settlement funds to consumers who may have been affected by the alleged price increases. The plan was filed by Nevada and a coalition of 47 other states and territories.<\/p>\n
The settlements with Glenmark, Lannett, Bausch, Apotex, Heritage, and Heritage\u2019s parent company, Emcure, total about $96.5 million. The distribution plan is intended to return millions of dollars from those settlements to people who may have paid higher prices for the generic drugs involved.<\/p>\n
Consumers who purchased any of the listed generic drugs between May 2009 and December 2019 may be eligible for compensation. The eligibility process is based on the specific drugs purchased and other requirements.<\/p>\n
People who want to find out if they qualify can call 1-866-290-0182, email info@AGGenericDrugs.com<\/a>, or visit the AG Generic Drugs settlement website.<\/a><\/p>\n The cases are part of a multistate antitrust effort that began in 2016. The states have filed several complaints involving generic drug manufacturers, with each case addressing different drugs and defendants.<\/p>\n The first complaint included Heritage and 17 other corporate defendants, along with two individual defendants and 15 generic drugs. A second complaint, filed in 2019, named Teva Pharmaceuticals and 21 of the nation’s largest generic drug manufacturers, as well as 16 individual senior executives.<\/p>\n A third complaint, which is scheduled to be tried first, focuses on 80 topical generic drugs that account for billions of dollars in sales in the United States. It names 26 corporate defendants and 10 individual defendants.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, the states filed a fourth complaint alleging that Novartis AG, Sandoz Group AG and Sandoz AG are liable for Sandoz’s alleged conduct and for allegedly transferring assets to avoid liability. Seven pharmaceutical executives have been cooperating with the states in support of their claims.<\/p>\n The states’ cases were built through investigations that included cooperating witnesses, millions of documents, and a large database of phone records. The complaints describe communications among competing industry executives and allege that the settlement money is for consumers who may have been affected. People who purchased the listed drugs during the eligible period can check the settlement website or use the provided contact information to determine whether they qualify and how to submit a claim. The companies used phrases such as “fair share,” “playing nice in the sandbox,” and “responsible competitor” as part of efforts to discourage competition, raise prices, and maintain what the states describe as a culture of collusion.<\/p>\n