SAN FRANCISCO, July 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Block & Leviton LLP, a nationwide plaintiffs’ law firm dedicated to handling complex class action litigation, announced today that it has reached a $55 million settlement with Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) in a long-running class action case, In re Thalomid and Revlimid Antitrust Litigation. The settlement represents one of the largest pharmaceutical settlements in an antitrust case brought on behalf of end payors (patients, health and welfare funds, insurers, and others).
Whitney Street, a Block & Leviton Partner, said, “We are pleased to have obtained a substantial recovery on behalf of cancer patients and other parties that bear the skyrocketing cost of these lifesaving drugs.”
Filed in 2014, the plaintiffs in this class lawsuit alleged that Celgene monopolized the market for two drugs, Thalomid and Revlimid, which are primarily used to treat multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. Specifically, the plaintiffs alleged that Celgene kept generic versions of these two drugs off the market, in violation of various federal and state antitrust laws. Throughout the litigation, the end payor plaintiffs asserted that prices for Thalomid and Revlimid were higher than they would have been in a competitive market.
The parties agreed to resolve the case after the close of discovery and during the pendency of the plaintiffs’ motion to certify the class. Any person or entity that paid for some or all of the purchase price of Thalomid or Revlimid in California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, or Tennessee, for use by themselves, their families, or their members, employees, insureds, participants, or beneficiaries, will be invited to file a claim to participate in the settlement.
Block & Leviton attorneys working on this case include Whitney Street and Stephen Teti. The other lead counsel in the case were Hausfeld LLP and Hach, Rose, Schirripa & Cheverie LLP.
For further information, please contact:
Whitney Street
wstreet@blockesq.com
(415) 968-8999
About Block & Leviton
With offices in Boston, San Francisco, and Washington, Block & Leviton attorneys have recovered billions for its clients and class members. The firm has extensive complex litigation expertise, particularly in antitrust/competition, securities, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, ERISA, employment, and consumer litigation. For more information about the firm, please visit www.blockesq.com.