Alabama Joining Antitrust Lawsuit Over Drug Used to Treat Opioid Addiction
Attorney General Luther Strange is joining 35 other Attorneys General in an antitrust lawsuit against the makers of Suboxone, a prescription drug used to treat opioid addiction.
Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, now known as Indivior, is accused of conspiring with MonoSol Rx to switch Suboxone from a tablet to a film (that dissolves in the mouth) in order to prevent or delay generic alternatives and maintain monopoly profits.
The Attorneys General allege that this was an illegal move called “product hopping,” where a company makes modest changes to its product to extend patent protections so other companies can’t enter the market and offer cheaper generic alternatives.
Suboxone is a brand-name prescription drug used to treat heroin and other opioid addictions by easing addiction cravings. No generic alternative is currently available.
“The proliferation of opioid addictions is a tragedy in America and particularly in Alabama,” Strange says. “Antitrust laws exist to protect consumers from unscrupulous trade practices that stifle fair competition. This lawsuit seeks to stop Indivior from doing so, and to provide relief for consumers who were harmed.”
Alabama is particularly sensitive to the opioid epidemic. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and prevention found that Alabama was among a handful of states with the highest number of opioid prescriptions per person.
‘Bomb cyclone’ forecasted to bring heavy snow, blizzard conditions and dangerous travel
A 'bomb cyclone' is intensifying severe winter weather for millions of people across the U.S. The system is expected to knock out power and disrupt holiday travel.
Russia sends 3 Iranian satellites into orbit, report says
The report said that a Russian rocket sent the satellites on Sunday from a launchpad in eastern Russia.
Viral global TikToks: A twist on soccer, Tanzania’s Charlie Chaplin, hope in Gaza
TikToks are everywhere (well, except countries like Australia and India, where they've been banned.) We talk to the creators of some of the year's most popular reels from the Global South.
This painting is missing. Do you have it?
An important work from a rediscovered artist has been absent from public view since the 1970s. A New York curator is hunting for it.
Memory loss: As AI gobbles up chips, prices for devices may rise
Demand for memory chips currently exceeds supply and there's very little chance of that changing any time soon. More chips for AI means less available for other products such as computers and phones and that could drive up those prices too.
Brigitte Bardot, sex goddess of cinema, has died
Legendary screen siren and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot has died at age 91. The alluring former model starred in numerous movies, often playing the highly sexualized love interest.
