Companies hit with lawsuits, agree to settlements over price-fixing allegations

Price-fixing lawsuits, settlements overview: 

• Who: Generic drugmakers, beef processors, broiler chicken and canned tuna producers and five private universities recently agreed to settlements. 
• Why: The settlements ended price-fixing claims. 
• Where: Three of the settlements benefit a nationwide class of consumers while one benefits certain Washington residents. 

Generic drugmakers, beef processors, broiler chicken and canned tuna producers and private universities all recently agreed to pay millions of dollars in settlements to end price-fixing claims. 

Consumers or other entities may allege price-fixing if they believe companies unlawfully work together to ensure they don’t sell a good or service below a certain price. 

Generic drugmakers to pay $45M in medication price-fixing litigation

A group of generic drugmakers agreed to pay a combined $45 million in settlements last month to resolve claims they colluded to fix the price of a number of medications.

Drugmakers Apotex Corp., Heritage Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Breckenridge Pharmaceuticals Inc. agreed to pay around $30 million, $10 million and $5 million, respectively, to end their parts in an ongoing multidistrict litigation that began in 2016. 

The total amount of the settlements could change depending on the number of class members who make a claim to join the agreements. 

Apotex, Heritage and Breckenridge also agreed to provide information to help prosecute other drugmakers who have not reached settlement agreements, including Pfizer, Mylan and Actavis. 

Universities to pay $104.5M over financial aid price-fixing claims

Private universities Brown, Columbia, Duke, Emory and Yale agreed to pay a combined $104.5 million in settlements to end claims they worked together to limit financial aid for students. 

The universities requested their settlement approvals be combined with a separate $13.5 million settlement involving the University of Chicago that has already been granted preliminary approval. 

Per the settlements, Duke and Columbia will each pay $24 million, Brown will pay $19.5 million and Yale and Emory will each pay $18.5 million to end claims they worked together to fix and artificially inflate their net price of admission, harming financial aid recipients. 

A group of former students filed a class action lawsuit against 19 private universities in Jan. 2022, arguing they overcharged about 170,000 financial aid recipients by hundreds of millions of dollars over almost 20 years. 

Consumers receiving refunds in $40.6M tuna, chicken price-fixing settlement

In December, consumers in Washington began to receive refunds from $40.6 million in settlements broiler chicken and canned tuna producers agreed to following claims they conspired to raise and fix the price of their products. 

The settlements benefit a class of Washington residents with a household income at or below 175% of the federal poverty level. 

The office of Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed the lawsuits against more than 20 companies, including StarKist, Tyson, Perdue, Pilgrim’s Pride and Sanderson Farms. Tyson paid $10.5 million and Chicken of the Sea paid $4.1 million. The remaining $35.5 million came from 15 other broiler chicken producers. 

Eligible consumers who want to make a claim to join the settlements have until June 5 to submit a valid claim form. 

Beef processors settle price-fixing allegations for $52.5M 

Last month, JBS and Swift Beef Co. were among beef processors who agreed to pay $52.5 million to end claims they worked together to fix the price of their products at the direct purchaser level.

The settlement will benefit a nationwide class of consumers or entities who purchased either boxed or case-ready beef directly from Cargill, JBS, National Beef or Tyson between Jan. 1, 2015, and Feb. 10, 2022.

Individuals who want to join the settlement must submit a valid claim form by March 4, 2024. 

Are you affected by a recent price-fixing settlement? Let us know in the comments.

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