Hawaii is among 42 states that can proceed with their litigation against Indivior Inc., the maker of Suboxone.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has ruled that the states—led by Wisconsin—have offered enough evidence to proceed to trial.
“The court appropriately rejected two extensive summary judgment motions filed by the defendant Indivior PLC, providing a very comprehensive analysis of the issues raised by Indivior and evidence presented by the plaintiffs,” Hawaii Attorney General Shikada said in a recent press release from Gov. David Ige’s office. “The opinion paves the way for the multi-state group to proceed to trial to further present evidence showing that Indivior’s conduct harmed consumers.”
The states allege that Indivior used illegal methods to switch the Suboxone market from tablets to film while also trying to destroy the market for tablets in order to preserve its drug monopoly, the release said. A trial is expected next year but has not yet been scheduled.
In what was described as “a sweeping ruling,” the Federal District Court in an 86-page opinion denied defendant Indivior’s Motion for Summary Judgment, stating that there were enough facts and favorable law for the plaintiffs to move forward.
In addition to Hawaii, states involved in the case include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.