BOSTON ¨C A U.S. jury on Monday found Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceutical liable for causing about $885 million in damages by delaying a generic version of its constipation drug Amitiza through an anticompetitive scheme. Jurors in federal court ?in Boston,?following a five-week trial, sided with wholesalers, insurers, health funds and retailers including CVS and Walgreens, who said the delay forced ?them to ?overpay for the drug.
The award could rise to several billion dollars.?Federal antitrust law that covers the bulk of the plaintiffs¡¯ claims allows damages ?to be automatically tripled, meaning $821.7 million of the jury¡¯s award could swell to $2.47 billion.
Takeda denied wrongdoing during the trial and said in a statement ?it will ¡°vigorously pursue¡± an appeal.
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