Colorado pays two pharmaceutical companies $49 million in settlements over antitrust claims

Colorado settles antitrust lawsuits against two pharmaceutical companies for nearly $50 million in ongoing lawsuits alleging that some of the nation’s largest manufacturers of generic prescription drugs conspired to raise prices and reduce competition.

Attorney General Phil Weiser announced Thursday a $10 million settlement with Heritage Pharmaceuticals and $39.1 million with Apotex.

Colorado joined three interstate lawsuits against dozens of companies and managers in the period from 2016 to 2020. The lawsuits alleged that manufacturers such as Pfizer and Teva Pharmaceuticals “began to carry out one of the most outrageous and destructive price-fixing conspiracies in the history of the United States.”

Drugs covered by these schemes include drugs for diabetes, cancer, HIV, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, ADHD and more, government officials said Thursday.

As part of the settlement, Heritage and Apotex will agree to cooperate in ongoing litigation and implement internal reforms to ensure fair competition.

“The admission of responsibility by some defendants is a positive first step, but other defendants must be held accountable for their blatant disregard for the law,” Weiser said in a statement.