Article ID: 9be0579f6380c391dd38f65b2b3ee29a77e394311500b1a4e973e0bd63700d1c
Source ID: secondary:businessinsurance.com
Published At: -
Extraction Method: bs4_heuristic
Body Text
Takeda engaged in antitrust scheme to delay generic constipation drug: US jury - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Takeda engaged in antitrust scheme to delay generic constipation drug: US jury Agents and Brokers , P/C Insurers May 19, 2026 (Reuters) — A U.S. jury on Monday found Takeda Pharmaceutical liable for causing about $885 million in damages by delaying a generic version of its constipation drug Amitiza through an anticompetitive scheme. Jurors in federal court in Boston, following a five-week trial, sided with wholesalers, insurers, health funds and retailers including CVS and Walgreens who said the delay forced them to overpay for the drug. The award could rise to several billion dollars. Federal antitrust law that covers the bulk of the plaintiffs’ claims allows damages to be automatically tripled, meaning $821.7 million of the jury’s award could swell to $2.47 billion. Japan-based Takeda denied wrongdoing during the trial and said in a statement it will “vigorously pursue” an appeal. “We also believe that there were both evidentiary and legal errors made during the trial,” the company said. “While we are disappointed with this outcome, we thank the jury for its service.” The company said it was currently assessing the amount of the provision it must recognize in relation to the litigation and will revise its financial statements for the previous fiscal year that ended in March. The lawsuits, filed in 2021, are among a wave of cases targeting so-called “pay-for-delay” deals, in which brand-name drugmakers pay generic rivals to postpone launching cheaper versions of medicines in exchange for resolving patent lawsuits. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2013 such agreements can violate antitrust law. Monday’s verdict is the first time a jury has found a pharmaceutical company liable in class-action litigation over such pay-for-delay agreements since the Supreme Court’s ruling. Three earlier trials ended in defense verdicts. “We were incredibly fortunate to have a committed jury that really showed up every day, took their job seriously,” said Kristen Johnson, a lawyer for drug purchasers pursuing class-action claims against Takeda. “They understood that paying off a competitor has real consequences on competition.” The case centered on Amitiza, a medication developed by Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, which partnered with Takeda to market the drug in the United States after its approval in 2006. In 2012, Par Pharmaceutical sought FDA approval to bring a generic version of Amitiza to market. Sucampo and Takeda sued for patent infringement, while Par argued that the patents were invalid. The companies settled in 2014, with Par agreeing to delay launching its generic until January 2021, when it was allowed to sell an authorized version of Amitiza, known as lubiprostone, supplied by Sucampo under a profit-sharing deal. Lawyers for the plaintiffs said the settlement amounted to a $210 million “payoff” that delayed generic competition by six years while giving Par a lucrative partnership. Sucampo was later acquired by Mallinckrodt in 2018. But Joshua Barlow, one of Takeda’s lawyers, told jurors in his closing argument on Thursday the settlement had been lawful and pro-competition, saying that without it, generic Amitiza would not have been available until years later. “It increased competition,” he said. Takeda’s license agreement related to Amitiza ended in 2024, and the company no longer sells the drug. The jury awarded $474.9 million to direct purchasers such as pharmacies and wholesalers, and $63.2 million to insurers and other “end payors.” It also awarded $346.8 million in damages to five retailers that sued individually, including $191 million to CVS and $121 million to Walgreens. Jonathan Stratton, a lawyer for the retailers, said in a statement the verdict “makes clear that pharmaceutical companies cannot buy their way out of competition.” Related News Temp worker can sue special employer over job-site injury: Maine court May 19, 2026 Sands Point Risk buys environmental underwriter May 19, 2026 Luxury brand, reseller in fight over who gets to bag the resale market May 19, 2026 AIG agrees to buy Everest Colombia May 19, 2026 Energy investors lose effort to claim earlier defense costs May 19, 2026 EU mulls rules to reduce reliance on China for critical components May 19, 2026 Evergrande liquidators seek $8.4B from PwC May 19, 2026 Iran launches Bitcoin-backed ship insurance May 19, 2026 Marsh expands in Japan with broker acquisition May 19, 2026 Facebook-f X-twitter Linkedin-in Business Insurance is a singular, authoritative news and information source for executives focused upon risk management, risk transfer and risk financing. Never miss important news: Become a Business Insurance Online subscriber today Subscribe Now Information About Us Contact Advertise Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Copyright 2026. BUSINESS INSURANCE HOLDINGS Member, Beacon International Group, Ltd.
Metadata (JSON)
{
"score": 17.6175
}