18 states sue Abbott Laboratories for blocking generic versions of Fenofibrate

Eighteen states have filed suit in federal court against Abbott, alleging the drug maker blocked generic competition for a popular cholesterol medication. The antitrust lawsuit charges that Abbott and a French drug company tried to block competition for a cheaper, generic version of the prescription drug TriCor (Fenofibrate), a cholesterol drug. Fenofibrate is a drug of the fibrate class. The development of Fenofibrate was discovered by Groupe Fournier SA, before it was acquired by Solvay Pharmaceutical in 2005. It is mainly used to reduce cholesterol levels in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease. The pharmaceutical form and the strength may change from one country from another, and from one brand to another. In the United States, Tricor was reformulated in 2005 and is available in tablets of 48 and 145 mg. This reformulation is controversial and is the subject of antitrust litigation by generic drug manufacturer Teva The medicine accounted for more than $1 billion (€0.63 billion) of Abbott's sales last year. The states allege that the companies continuously made minor changes in the formulations of TriCor to prevent generic versions from entering the market