Hawkeye Reporter

DES MOINES— Attorney General Brenna Bird today announced that Iowa and a coalition of 41 other states negotiated a nationwide $102.5 million settlement with Indivior Inc., manufacturer of the opioid addiction treatment drug Suboxone. Iowa will receive over $1 million from the settlement.

The Suboxone medicine originated as a tablet and is prescribed to help individuals recover from opioid addiction. Following the creation of Indivior’s film strip version of Suboxone, the lawsuit challenged the company’s alleged illegal use of “product hopping.” Product hopping consists of making small changes to products in order to extend patent protections. These changes prevented generic drug manufacturers from entering the market and offering alternatives to Suboxone. Indivior monopolized the market and burdened consumers with inflated prices for the medication, due to the lack of competition.

The States' complaint also addresses Indivior’s use of false advertising and price adjustments to destroy the market for tablets and preserve its drug monopoly. These actions violated state and federal antitrust laws.

“Iowans deserve freedom and choice in the marketplace,” said Attorney General Bird. “This settlement makes clear that any single company who attempts to illegally control the drug market, or any market, will be held accountable.”

Indivior is required to comply with negotiated terms that include disclosures to the States of all citizen petitions to the FDA, introductions of new products, or changes in corporate control, which will help ensure Indivior stops from engaging in future illegal conduct.

Iowa joined 41 other states in the original Wisconsin-led lawsuit.

Read more here.

Original source can be found here.