BISMARCK, ND – North Dakota Attorney General Drew H. Wrigley is urging consumers in Bismarck, Mandan, and across the state to check their eligibility and submit claims for compensation resulting from settlements with multiple generic drug manufacturers. The claims process is now open for eligible residents to recover money related to allegations of unlawful inflation of generic drug prices.
This month, the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut granted preliminary approval for a plan, submitted by Attorney General Wrigley alongside a coalition of 47 other attorneys general, to distribute settlement funds. These funds stem from claims that various generic drug companies illegally conspired to raise prices.
The coalition previously announced settlements totaling approximately $96.5 million. These agreements were reached with manufacturers including Glenmark, Lannett, Bausch, Apotex, Heritage, and Heritage’s parent company, Emcure. The distribution plan aims to return millions of dollars from these settlements to consumers potentially harmed by elevated prices for the generic drugs that are the focus of a series of antitrust cases.
Attorney General Wrigley emphasized the commitment to returning money to North Dakotans who overpaid for these medications. He encourages everyone to review the criteria, determine their qualification, and submit a claim if eligible.
Consumers who purchased a generic drug listed on the settlement website between May 2009 and December 2019 may be eligible for compensation. To determine eligibility or learn more about submitting a claim, individuals can call toll-free at 1-866-290-0182, email [email protected], or visit the settlement website at www.AGGenericDrugs.com.
North Dakota’s involvement comes as Attorney General Wrigley is part of a broad coalition of nearly all states and territories engaged in a series of antitrust cases targeting generic drug price manipulation. The initial complaint in this legal effort was filed in 2016, involving Heritage and 17 other corporate defendants, two individual defendants, and 15 generic drugs. A second complaint followed in 2019, naming Teva Pharmaceuticals and 21 of the nation’s largest generic drug manufacturers, along with 16 individual senior executive defendants. The third complaint, slated for an initial trial, focuses on 80 topical generic drugs, which represent billions of dollars in U.S. sales, and names 26 corporate and 10 individual defendants.
Earlier this year, the coalition filed a fourth complaint, alleging that Novartis AG, Sandoz Group AG, and Sandoz AG are liable for Sandoz’s alleged conduct and for fraudulently transferring assets. Seven pharmaceutical executives have been cooperating to support the coalition’s claims throughout these cases.
These extensive cases are built upon a series of investigations, drawing on evidence from several cooperating witnesses at the heart of different conspiracies, millions of documents, and a vast phone record database. The complaints describe an interconnected web of competing industry executives who regularly met and communicated, creating ample opportunity for illegal agreements. The lawsuits allege that defendants used specific terms, such as fair share, playing nice in the sandbox, and responsible competitor, to unlawfully discourage competition, artificially raise prices, and maintain an ingrained culture of collusion.
