Below are 11 legal actions involving members of the drug supply chain, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacies, pharmacists and distributors, reported by Becker's Hospital Review in the last two weeks.
1. Mallinckrodt sues CMS, HHS over Medicaid rebate change for Acthar Gel
Ireland-based drug company Mallinckrodt sued HHS and CMS May 21 over a regulatory move that would change Medicaid rebates for its Acthar Gel, a best-selling injection for multiple sclerosis, lupus and other ailments.
2. Baltimore sues J&J subsidiary, says it schemed to monopolize cancer drug
Baltimore officials sued a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, accusing the drugmaker of using "sham" patent litigation to delay the launch of lower-cost generics and forcing the city to needlessly spend millions of dollars on the medication.
3. Supreme Court rules in favor of Merck in osteoporosis drug case
In a victory for Merck, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out a lower court decision May 20 that had revived a class-action lawsuit accusing the drugmaker of failing to warn patients of risks associated with its osteoporosis drug Fosamax.
4. 5 more states sue Purdue Pharma over opioid crisis
Five more U.S. states filed lawsuits accusing Purdue Pharma of contributing to the nationwide opioid epidemic by illegally marketing and selling OxyContin.
5. Pennsylvania hits Purdue Pharma with opioid lawsuit
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro accused Purdue Pharma of fueling the opioid epidemic in the state in a lawsuit filed May 14.
6. J&J, Teva must face opioid lawsuit, judge rules
Johnson & Johnson and Teva Pharmaceuticals lost a last-minute bid to escape an opioid lawsuit brought against them by the state of Oklahoma.
7. Kentucky lawsuit accuses big 3 insulin makers of price-gouging
Kentucky is suing three insulin makers — Eli Lilly, Sanofi and Novo Nordisk — over alleged price-gouging.The state is the latest to sue insulin manufacturers over the pricing of the product.
8. AbbVie, Boehringer settle Humira patent dispute
AbbVie and Boehringer Ingelheim have resolved their patent dispute over a biosimilar to Humira, the companies announced May 14.
9. Bayer ordered to pay $2B in weedkiller lawsuit
A San Francisco jury ordered Bayer to pay more than $2 billion to a couple who claimed the company's weedkiller caused their cancer.
10. 44 states file price-fixing suit against generic drugmakers
Attorneys general from 44 states are suing the nation's largest generic drugmakers, claiming they conspired to inflate prices of more than 100 generic drugs by as much as 1,000 percent.
11. J&J loses bid to transfer baby powder suits to 1 court
A judge denied an emergency bid from Johnson & Johnson to transfer 2,400 state lawsuits tied to its baby powder immediately to a federal court in Delaware.