Idaho, Washington among states suing pharmaceutical companies over drug prices

While consumers are voicing dismay about rising drug prices, state governments are going to court in search of a remedy.

Twenty states filed a lawsuit in December against six generic drugmakers including Teva Pharmaceuticals and Mylan N.V., which has been under fire for increasing the price of EpiPen allergy shots more than 500 percent.

Idaho and Washington are among those joining the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Connecticut.

The complaint claims the drugmakers conspired over steak dinners and “girls nights out” on pricing of two common generic drugs, according to Reuters.

The drugs include the delayed-release version of doxycycline hyclate, a common antibiotic that rose from $20 to $1,849 for 500 tablets in less than a year. Court documents accuse Heritage, Mylan and Mayne of conspiring to capture and divide the doxycycline market.

The suit also alleges that Heritage, Teva, Aurobindo and Citron conspired to raise prices on glyburide, an older drug used to treat diabetes.

Connecticut’s attorney general expects more states to join the case.

To learn more about what’s driving up the cost of prescription medications of all types, check out the “High RX Costs” issues page on the Voices for Affordable Health website. Be sure to sign up for email updates.