20 state attorneys general are suing 6 generic drugmakers over collusion and price fixing
The drugs in question are a generic antibiotic called doxycycline hyclate and an anti-diabetic medication called glyburide.
"Companies that collude and fix prices for generic drugs in order to pad their profits must be held accountable for the very real harm they inflict on New Yorkers' ability to pay for life-saving medications," New York's Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said in a statement.
The companies named were:
- Heritage Pharmaceuticals
- Aurobindo Pharma
- Citron Pharma
- Mayne Pharma
- Mylan Pharmaceuticals
- Teva Pharmaceuticals
Last month, Bloomberg reported that federal prosecutors may start bringing down charges regarding price fixing as part of a larger investigation into generic drugmakers.
And on Wednesday, the Department of Justice accused two executives of fixing prices of a generic antibiotic and an anti-diabetic medication, which were the first charges to be leveled after a sweeping two-year investigation into the matter.
Heritage Pharmaceuticals' former president Jason Malek and former CEO Jeffrey Glazer were charged with colluding to "rig bids, and fix and maintain prices of doxycycline hyclate sold in the United States," according to a court filing. A second count charged the two with doing the same with glyburide, a drug used to control blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes.