Pfizer Inc., Ranbaxy Laboratories Sued Over Alleged Anti-Competitive Scheme

Pfizer Inc. and Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. were sued in an antitrust case filed in federal court in New York alleging the drugmakers engaged in an anti-competitive scheme to delay a generic version of Lipitor into the market. The AFL-AGC Building Trades Welfare plan, a health and welfare benefit plan based in Mobile, Alabama, claims that two drugmakers engaged in a monopolization scheme after the Pfizer’s original patent for the cholesterol-lowering drug expired on March 24, 2010. In the proposed class-action, or group, lawsuit, the plaintiffs allege the drug companies agreed to delay the entry of generic Lipitor for 20 months. As a result of an unlawful agreement with generic-maker Ranbaxy, Pfizer cost purchasers to pay more for Lipitor than they would have paid for the generic version of the drug.