Pharmaceutical company enters settlement with Idaho after attempting to block generic drugs
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The following is a news release from the State of Idaho Office of the Attorney General.
BOISE — Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced today that Idaho, the District of Columbia and 22 other states reached an agreement with Teikoku Seiyaku and Teikoku Pharma USA on a 20 year injunction to prohibit anticompetitive practices.
Teikoku Pharma is one of the largest pharmaceutical patch manufacturers in the world. Teikoku is accused of illegal conduct by participating in an agreement to protect a monopoly on Lidoderm. Lidoderm is the brand-name for lidocaine patches, which are widely prescribed for relief of pain associated with post-herpetic neuralgia, a common complication of shingles.
“When a company tries to fix the system to its advantage, consumers suffer the consequences, which can often include fewer and less affordable choices available for treatment.” Wasden said. “This settlement agreement provides a great mechanism for the states to bring enforcement actions in the future.”
The 20-year injunction prohibits Teikoku from paying or incentivizing a generic drug maker to delay entry into the drug market or from researching, developing, manufacturing, marketing or selling any drug product.