BISMARCK, ND – North Dakotans are now eligible to claim compensation from settlements reached with several generic drug manufacturers accused of illegally inflating prices. Attorney General Drew H. Wrigley is urging local consumers to review their eligibility and submit a claim for refunds.
The claims process has officially opened for individuals who purchased specific generic drugs between May 2009 and December 2019. The compensation comes from settlements with companies including Glenmark, Lannett, Bausch, Apotex, Heritage, and Heritage's parent company, Emcure, which collectively total approximately $96.5 million.
Attorney General Wrigley and a coalition of 47 other attorneys general filed a plan to distribute these settlement funds, which recently received preliminary approval from the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. The distribution aims to return millions of dollars to consumers in North Dakota and elsewhere who may have paid elevated prices for these drugs.
“We are committed to returning money to North Dakotans who paid more than they should have for these drugs,” Attorney General Wrigley stated. He encouraged residents to check the criteria, determine if they qualify, and submit a claim.
To ascertain eligibility or to learn more about submitting a claim, consumers can call a toll-free number at 1-866-290-0182, email [email protected], or visit the settlement website.
This claims process stems from a series of antitrust cases that Attorney General Wrigley, as part of a coalition of nearly all states and territories, has been litigating since 2016. North Dakota is explicitly included in this coalition.
The first complaint, filed in 2016, targeted Heritage and 17 other corporate defendants, along with two individuals, concerning 15 generic drugs. A second complaint in 2019 named Teva Pharmaceuticals and 21 of the nation’s largest generic drug manufacturers, along with 16 individual senior executives. A third complaint, slated for an initial trial, focuses on 80 topical generic drugs with billions in U.S. sales, listing 26 corporate defendants and 10 individuals. Most recently, a fourth complaint was filed earlier this year, alleging that Novartis AG, Sandoz Group AG, and Sandoz AG are liable for Sandoz’s alleged conduct and for fraudulently transferring assets.
The broader investigations supporting these cases have been built on evidence from several cooperating witnesses at the core of different conspiracies, millions of documents, and a vast phone record database. The complaints describe an intricate network of competing industry executives who allegedly met and communicated regularly, creating opportunities for illegal agreements. The legal filings note that defendants reportedly used phrases such as "fair share," "playing nice in the sandbox," and "responsible competitor" to unlawfully discourage competition, artificially raise prices, and enforce an established culture of collusion within the industry.
