US court rejects Teva’s challenge to Medicare negotiations

The US District Court for the District of Columbia has rejected Israel-headquartered Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries’ (NYSE: TEVA) challenge to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program - marking the 16th defeat against the industry’s nationwide legal campaign to prevent the law from lowering prices.

Teva manufactures Austedo (deutetrabenazine) and Austedo XR - used to treat involuntary movements associated with Huntington’s disease and tardive dyskinesia - which are included in the second round of negotiation. The deadline for the second round of lower negotiated prices to be announced is November 30th.

“Patients have triumphed again with a 16th victory over Big Pharma: this time over Teva Pharmaceuticals, the only corporation that filed after its drug was included in the second round of negotiations,” said Patients For Affordable Drugs (P4AD) executive director Merith Basey, adding: “Despite their expensive legal assault, their unfounded and unimaginative arguments were rejected in court. Americans overwhelmingly support Medicare’s right to negotiate lower drug prices, and the courts continue to affirm that this program is constitutional and here to stay.”