Attorney General's News Release

January 31, 2012

Attorney General Koster announces antitrust settlement with pharmaceutical companies

Jefferson City, Mo. – Attorney General Chris Koster announced today that Missouri and 32 other states have settled antitrust claims against pharmaceutical companies Aventis and Ferring. Missouri will receive $78,971.37 from the settlement.

Aventis manufactures and markets a prescription drug owned by Ferring called DDAVP (desmopressin), which is used for the treatment of diabetes and bed-wetting. The two companies allegedly delayed a competitor, Barr Laboratories, from selling generic versions of DDAVP by making materially misleading statements to the U.S. Patent Office.

“These companies tried to maintain a monopoly on DDAVP,” Koster said. “Whenever a generic substitute is unlawfully delayed, the result is higher co-pays for consumers and insurers paying for drugs.”