BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - A Minnesota labor union is suing a group of pharmaceutical makers for unjust enrichment in a dispute involving medicine for ulcerative colitis.
The Minnesota Laborers Health And Welfare Fund filed a class action lawsuit Sept. 21 against Allergan Inc., Warner Chilcott, Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. and Cadila Healthcare.
According to the lawsuit, Allergan and Warner Chilcott have allegedly engaged in deceptive business practices to prevent generic competition for the colitis drug Asacol.
The suit states that once the patent for Asacol expired, the defendants allegedly replaced it with near-identical drugs, thus extending patent protection. These practices allegedly allowed the defendants to earn millions at the expense of consumers, according to the suit.
The plaintiff is seeking a jury trial and punitive and other damages to be determined at trial, plus litigation costs and interest.
The union is being represented by Glen D. Valerio and Nathaniel L. Orenstein of Boston; Todd A. Seaver of San Francisco; Jeffrey L. Kodroff, William G. Caldes and John A. Macoretta of Spector Roseman Kodroff & Willis in Philadelphia; Karen Hanson Riebel and Heidi M. Silton of Lockridge Grindal Nauen in Minneapolis; William H. London of Freed Kanner London & Millen in Bannockburn, Ill.; and Christian M. Sande of Christian M. Sande in Minneapolis.
United States District Court of Massachusetts case number 1:15-cv-13405-DJC.