The US Supreme Court is weighing a request from global pharma giant Allergan to rule on whether drug companies can pull a medication from the market as generic competition looms in order to force patients to switch to new versions of the drug.
The case, which may hinge on antitrust laws, is being closely watched by the pharmaceutical industry.
Allergan’s request follows a heated battle between the drug maker and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman over a tactic known variously as product-hopping or forced switching, which involves pushing consumers from one product to another. A federal appeals court earlier this year ruled that a switch Allergan had planned would harm consumers.
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whoever violates the law should undergo criminal punishment