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Ahold Sues Drug Companies

QUINCY, Mass. — Ahold USA has filed suit against the makers of the drug Solodyn, citing “substantial losses” resulting from the drug maker’s attempts to keep the top-selling acne treatment from being available in cheaper generic form.

Jon Springer, Executive Editor

September 10, 2013

1 Min Read
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QUINCY, Mass. — Ahold USA has filed suit against the makers of the drug Solodyn, citing “substantial losses” resulting from the drug maker’s attempts to keep the top-selling acne treatment from being available in cheaper generic form.

In a suit filed this week in U.S. District Court in Boston, Ahold alleged that Medicis, the maker of Solodyn, engaged in several illegal tactics to extend its monopoly on its patent for the drug, including paying generic manufacturers to delay introductions. Generic drug manufacturers Impax, Lupin and Teva Pharmaceuticals are named as co-defendants in the suit.

Ahold filed the suit on behalf of itself and a class of plaintiffs that would include any purchaser of Solodyn since Feb. 3, 2009. Plaintiffs, the suit said, “paid artificially inflated prices for minocycline hydrochloride extended release tablets and were deprived of the benefits of earlier and more robust competition from cheaper generic versions.”

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Ahold, which operates Stop & Shop and Giant chains in the U.S., did not specify the amount of damages it was seeking.

Medicis, a division of Valeant Pharmaceuticals, has not yet responded to the compliant.

About the Author

Jon Springer

Executive Editor

Jon Springer is executive editor of Winsight Grocery Business with responsibility for leading its digital news team. Jon has more than 20 years of experience covering consumer business and retail in New York, including more than 14 years at the Retail/Financial desk at Supermarket News. His previous experience includes covering consumer markets for KPMG’s Insiders; the U.S. beverage industry for Beverage Spectrum; and he was a Senior Editor covering commercial real estate and retail for the International Council of Shopping Centers. Jon began his career as a sports reporter and features editor for the Cecil Whig, a daily newspaper in Elkton, Md. Jon is also the author of two books on baseball. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English-Journalism from the University of Delaware. He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. with his family.

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