AstraZeneca to fight ‘misleading prices’ judgement

AstraZeneca has announced that it is to fight a recent court judgement that it misleadingly and falsely reported prices which it describes as legally and factually unfounded.

Together with 73 pharmaceutical manufactures named in a 2005 lawsuit, the company was accused of making these misleading reports to reimburse pharmacists too much money on prescriptions that were filled out for Medicaid patients in the US state of Alabama.

AstraZeneca claims that the case itself was based on a misleading premise, namely that the Alabama State Medicaid Agency did not understand the mechanism for drug pricing and its reporting, while it adds that errors also occurred during proceedings.

“AstraZeneca believes it has fullycomplied with the law, government guidelines and contracts that govern Medicaid pricing,” the company reports.

“AstraZeneca currently provides medicines to Medicaid programmes at the lowest price offered to its best business clients, as federal law requires.”

The company adds that it shares a common goal with the State Medicaid programme of boosting access to medicines and reports that patients have saved over $25.5 million (13 million pounds) through its prescription savings programme.

Last week, the firm announcement of Jean-Philipe Courtois as a non-executive director of the firm with immediate effect.