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HARRISBURG -- Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has filed a lawsuit against several major pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy benefit managers, alleging they conspired to artificially inflate insulin prices and increase out-of-pocket costs for patients.
The lawsuit, filed this week in Commonwealth Court by the Office of Attorney General's Antitrust Section, alleges violations of Pennsylvania's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, as well as unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy.
Defendants include insulin manufacturers Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk Inc. and Sanofi-Aventis US LLC, along with pharmacy benefit managers Express Scripts, CVS Caremark and OptumRx, among others.
According to the complaint, the companies engaged in deceptive market practices that drove insulin prices up by more than 1,000%, leaving patients paying higher prices for medication used to manage diabetes.
"Millions of Pennsylvanians have diabetes or prediabetes and they were all potentially harmed by this scheme to artificially inflate pricing to maximize company profits," Sunday said. "Our Antitrust Section will continue to hold accountable companies, large and small, that prioritize profits over public access to affordable life-saving medication and care."
Approximately 1.3 million Pennsylvanians have diabetes, while another 3.5 million have prediabetes, according to the Attorney General's Office. Diagnosed diabetes costs the state an estimated $16.4 billion annually.
The lawsuit alleges the manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers worked together to manipulate insulin pricing, resulting in artificially high costs for consumers.
The Attorney General's Office is seeking a court order requiring changes to the companies' business practices to bring prices in line with fair market levels and provide patients with more options.
The complaint also seeks restitution for Pennsylvanians harmed by the alleged conduct, along with civil penalties and court costs.