Pomerantz was appointed co-lead counsel in this antirust class action on behalf of End-PayorPurchaser Plaintiffs (i.e., consumers and third-party payors, such as union health and welfare trust funds) of brand Toprol and/or generic Toprol for violations of state antitrust and consumer protection laws. Plaintiffs allege Defendant AstraZeneca, the manufacturer of branded Toprol, improperly manipulated patent filings and filed baseless patent infringement lawsuits in an effort to prevent and/or delay generic versions of the drug Toprol-XL from entering the market. As a result of Defendant’s unlawful conduct, end payors for Toprol-XL paid significantly higher costs than they should have.
On March 7, 2013, the Court granted final approval to a settlement that will result in Defendant AstraZeneca paying up to $11 million to consumers and third-party payors who purchased the heart medication Toprol XL or its generic, metoprolol succinate.