Maine is part of a nationwide lawsuit against 20 of the largest generic drug manufacturers in the U.S.
Attorney General Aaron Frey says Maine is one of 44 states to join the civil complaint, which was filed on Friday.
The expanding lawsuit alleges that Teva Pharmaceuticals and 19 other makers of generic drugs conspired to inflate prices. In some cases, the lawsuit alleges, prices were inflated as much as 1,000 percent.
Generic prescription medications of all varieties were included in those allegations, including some of the most commonly prescribed medications.
“Prescription drug costs create significant financial pressures on individuals and families,” Attorney General Frey said in a release Sunday night. “[T]here is compelling evidence that the prices for some of these drugs have been artificially inflated.”
It also includes claims that these pharmaceutical companies worked in tandem to ensure that each could carve out its share of the market.
The lawsuit seeks damages and action to restore competition in the prescription drug market.