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Judge Rules States’ Price-Fixing Case Against Drugmakers Can Proceed

By  |  November 2, 2025

A federal judge has ruled that dozens of pharmaceutical companies and executives must face most of the allegations in a sweeping antitrust lawsuit accusing them of fixing prices for generic drugs, according to Reuters.

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    Chief Judge Michael Shea of the U.S. District Court in Connecticut decided Friday that 36 drugmakers and executives will remain defendants in the case brought by 45 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories. The lawsuit, led by Connecticut, claims the companies colluded to raise prices, restrict competition, and divide markets for around 80 generic drugs between 2009 and 2016. The medications involved include products treating skin conditions, such as the acne treatment Differin, the antifungal Lotrimin AF Cream, and Ritalin, which is used for attention deficit disorders.

    Per Reuters, Shea dismissed arguments from the defendants that the states had waited too long to file their federal and state claims. In his 130-page decision, he said the companies failed to demonstrate that the states had “lacked diligence” in pursuing their case. The judge cited evidence suggesting the companies engaged in “affirmative acts” to conceal the alleged price-fixing scheme.

    Related: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Sanovel Among 17 Drugmakers Fined by Turkish Regulator

    “A reasonable juror could find that the defendants’ ‘blaming supply,’ making uncompetitively high bids, and falsely citing production costs for increased prices were aimed at concealing their alleged conspiracy,” Shea wrote in the ruling.

    According to Reuters, the drugmakers named in the lawsuit include major firms such as Pfizer, Perrigo, and Sandoz. Attorneys representing those companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the ruling, nor did a spokesperson for Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.

    The case, formally titled Connecticut et al v. Sandoz Inc et al, is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut under case number 20-00802.

    Source: Reuters