- Utah settled with Sandoz for $1.52 million in a drug antitrust case.
- The case, part of a multistate effort, addresses alleged price-fixing from 2009-2014.
- Utah continues pursuing claims against other defendants to ensure fair drug pricing.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Commerce's Division of Consumer Protection and the Utah Attorney General's Office have reached a settlement with global pharmaceutical company Sandoz Inc. in a generic drug antitrust lawsuit
The generic drug manufacturer will pay $1.52 million to Utah, as part of a multistate effort to crack down on alleged unlawful price-fixing of numerous generic drugs, the attorney general's office announced Tuesday.
The company's settlement agreement with Utah is part of a larger lawsuit filed by attorneys general in other states, "alleging that Sandoz and other manufacturers conspired to fix prices from 2009 to 2014," the release said. Utah joined the case in 2016.
Earlier this year, Sandoz agreed to pay $275 million to settle claims alleged by U.S. consumers and other plaintiffs who believed the company worked with industry rivals to illegally fix drug prices, Reuters reported in February.
The attorney general's office said Utah consumers may be eligible for direct financial relief under a previously approved settlement.
"This consumer settlement provides compensation for individuals who purchased generic pharmaceutical products during the relevant period and were harmed by inflated prices," the release said.
Utah officials said the agreement requires Sandoz "not to engage in price-fixing, bid-rigging, or market-allocation activities for five years and to maintain its existing antitrust compliance program."
The Utah Attorney General's Office said the case signals the state's efforts to lower prescription drug costs for Utah families.
"When pharmaceutical companies manipulate the market, it drives up costs for everyday Utahns who need access to affordable medications," said Utah Attorney General Derek Brown in a statement. "We're committed to ensuring that Utahns pay fair prices for the prescriptions they depend on."
Margaret Busse, executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce, praised the Division of Consumer Protection for its work to protect Utah patients.
"Utah will never stop pursuing justice for consumers against those who unlawfully inflate the price of potentially lifesaving medication. We hope all affected Utahns will look into this settlement to determine if they can get any closer to being made whole in this price-fixing scheme," she said.
However, officials said that the antitrust settlement with Sandoz does not resolve Utah's claims against the other defendants in the broader litigation.
"Utah continues to pursue those cases to ensure accountability and safeguard competitive pricing for essential medications," the attorney general's office said.
Consumers can find additional information regarding the claims here.
