The Battle Against Big Pharma: Arizona Attorney General Sues GlaxoSmithKline Over Risking Asthma Patients

Understanding the Tricky Parts of the Lawsuit

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has taken an intimidating step against a giant in the pharmaceutical industry, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), accusing the British multinational company of engaging in ‘deceptive and unfair’ practices. The corporate mammoth is charged with risking the lives of consumers and exploiting the American taxpayers through manipulating the American medical system.

The Fallout of Flovent

It seems GSK was trying to navigate the twisted roads of greed as they allegedly discontinued the asthma medication Flovent, only to replace it with an identical product under a different name – a tactic aimed to avoid making payments to Medicaid. Attorney General Mayes is turning the tables by seeking legal action that the company has violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act.

Doubling Down on the Deceptive Practices

Aside from renaming Flovent, the nitty-gritty of the issue also involves the drug company artificially inflating the prices of the new product. If found guilty, each violation could cost GSK up to $10,000.

Corporate Greed Versus Public Health

In an era where corporate responsibility is more critical than ever, this lawsuit underscores a scary message that some companies might still prioritize profit over people. Attorney General Mayes stated, “Their manipulation of the system has left countless patients without access to life-saving medication, caused a spike in emergency room visits, and likely contributed to preventable deaths.”

Little Details About Flovent and GlaxoSmithKline

GSK isn’t just any company; it’s the tenth largest pharmaceutical entity in the world. Flovent, on the other hand, was a super important product for them, millions used it, including over one million Arizonans with asthma. Over the years, American taxpayers and Medicaid paid billions to GSK for Flovent, thanks to the company hiking the drug’s price far beyond inflation.

A Legal Loophole Exploited

Getting into the nitty-gritty of this case, one can see the extent of the company’s alleged manipulation of the system. A provision of the American Rescue Plan targeted drug manufacturers like GSK raising drug prices faster than inflation, and required them to rebate the price differential to Medicaid. But GSK allegedly found a way to dodge these rebates; by rebranding Flovent, they successfully treated the generic product like a new one with no pricing history.

The Real-World Impact: Sudden Drug Withdrawal and Increased Hospitalization

The fallout from this alleged scheme isn’t just a hit to the wallet for taxpayers. The abrupt discontinuation of the popular medicine led to a substantial increase in hospital admissions due to asthma attacks, a ripple effect that reveals the tangled issues when healthcare becomes a business strategy.

Severe Consequences for Pediatric Asthma Patients

Dr. Rahul Chawla, a pediatric critical care and emergency room physician in Arizona, directly witnessed how patients suffered from the sudden withdrawal of Flovent. He notes an increase in severe asthma incidents, with many patients ending up in emergency rooms because they could not access their crucial asthma medication.

While this lawsuit is still ongoing, and no judgment has been handed down yet, it raises many important concerns about the pharmaceutical industry’s relationship with public health and underscores the importance of holding corporations accountable for their actions.

Originally Post From https://www.courthousenews.com/arizona-attorney-general-sues-drug-company-for-endangering-asthma-patients-skirting-medicaid-payments/

Arizona Attorney General Takes Legal Action Against Drug Firm for Risking Asthma Patients’ Lives