Cigna Sues Bristol-Myers Over Thalomid Generic Delay Allegations

Cigna Corp. sued Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. in a Philadelphia federal court Friday over its alleged scheme to block generic versions of two cancer drugs, adding its monopolization claims to an ongoing dispute that has already led to a $34 million settlement.

BMS subsidiary Celgene Corp. “successfully conspired to insulate Revlimid and Thalomid from competition,” despite their invention “decades before,” by disrupting distribution channels and manipulating the “regulatory mechanisms by which generic competition takes place,” Cigna’s complaint says.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, echoes allegations made by insurers Humana Inc. and ...