Johnson & Johnson Wins Remicade Antitrust Arbitration Bid

Johnson & Johnson won its bid Sept. 13 to have the Third Circuit order arbitration of proposed class action claims that it schemed to delay competition for its anti-inflammatory Remicade.

The antitrust lawsuit accused the drugmaker and its subsidiary Janssen Biotech Inc. of using product bundling and exclusionary contracts to block insurers from covering “biosimilar” versions of Remicade. Biosimilars are essentially generic versions of “biologic” drugs like Remicade, which are derived from living organisms or tissues, unlike chemically synthesized pharmaceuticals. Remicade is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

The scheme gave J&J an artificial monopoly on Remicade, according ...