Aetna Sues Takeda Over Anti-Constipation Drug ‘Monopoly’

Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA paid a would-be generic competitor to keep an anti-constipation drug off the market, a lawsuit brought by health plan Aetna Inc. alleges.

The pharmaceutical giant “manipulated the unique features of the prescription drug marketplace” to ensure it maintained a monopoly on its drug Amitiza, according to the complaint filed Friday in Massachusetts Superior Court, Suffolk County.

The “secret anticompetitive agreement” has led to “many millions of dollars in unlawful overcharges,” Aetna claims. “There is no procompetitive justification or consumer benefit to Takeda’s self-serving scheme,” the company said.

Aetna alleges Takeda filed a patent infringement lawsuit against potential ...