Wisconsin v. Indivior Inc. (In re Suboxone (Buprenorphine Hydrochloride & Naloxone) Antitrust Litig.)
| Decision Date | 16 October 2017 |
| Docket Number | CIV. A. NO. 16-5073,MDL NO. 2445,13-MD-2445 |
| Parties | IN RE SUBOXONE (BUPRENORPHINE HYDROCHLORIDE AND NALOXONE) ANTITRUST LITIGATION THIS DOCUMENT RELATES TO: Wisconsin, et al. v. Indivior Inc. et al. Case No. 16-cv-5073 STATE OF WISCONSIN By Attorney General Brad D. Schimel, et al. Plaintiffs, v. INDIVIOR INC. f/k/a RECKITT BENCKISER PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., et al. Defendants. |
| Court | U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Pennsylvania |
MEMORANDUM OPINION
The Defendants in this multi-district litigation—Indivior Inc., f/k/a Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Ltd.; Indivior PLC, f/k/a/ Reckitt Benckiser Group, plc; and MonoSol Rx, LLC—each play some role in the manufacture, production, and/or sale of Suboxone, a medication used for the treatment of opioid addiction. Plaintiffs, a collection of states,1 have brought suit against these Defendants alleging violations of federal and state antitrust statutes and state unfair trade and consumer protection laws.
Defendant Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Ltd. ("RBH") now moves to dismiss all claims against it, arguing that I do not have jurisdiction and that the Amended Complaint does not sufficiently allege any antitrust or state law cause of action. While I disagree with RBH regarding lack of jurisdiction, because a plausible antitrust claim has not been pled, I will grant the motion in its entirety.
Moving Defendant RBH is a British company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales. According to the Amended Complaint, RBH is engaged in the development and manufacture of pharmaceuticals, including Suboxone, as well as other health care products made and sold subject to FDA approval. RBH is a subsidiary of Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC ("RB Group"), a non-party. (Am. Compl. ¶ 12.)
RB Group also previously owned Defendant Indivior, Inc., formerly known as Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("RBPI"). In December 2014, RB Group sold the assets of RBPI to a British company known as Defendant Indivior PLC ("I-PLC"). As a result, RBPI was demerged from its prior parent, the RB Group, into I-PLC. By the terms of the sale, the ownership of all assets and operations related to the production of Suboxone was transferred to I-PLC. (Id. ¶¶ 11, 13.) According to the Certificate of Amendment from the State of Delaware, RBPI simply changed its name to Indivior, Inc.2 (Def. I-PLC's Mot. to Dismiss, ECF No. 139, Ex. 1.)
Defendant MonoSol Rx, LLC is a Delaware limited liability company with its principal place of business in Indiana. (Am. Compl. ¶ 14.) MonoSol produces PharmFilm drug technology, which allows pharmaceuticals to be converted into a sublingual film form. (Id. ¶ 48.)
In broad terms, the Amended Complaint alleges that Defendants engaged in a "product hopping" scheme designed to prevent or delay less expensive generic versions of its drug Suboxone from entering the market. Plaintiff States assert that the primary Defendant Indivior, faced with the impending loss of exclusivity on its Suboxone tablet, developed a new "film" version of Suboxone, which would not be AB-rated, or pharmaceutically equivalent, with a generic version of the Suboxone tablet. Plaintiffs claim that Indivior, in conjunction with RBH and MonoSol, launched the sale of the film in 2010, while simultaneously taking steps to (a) convert the market's prescription base from tablets to film and (b) delay the entry of generic tablets by refusing to participate in a joint REMS safety program and filing a baseless citizen petition. Ultimately, the FDA approved the first generic alternatives to Suboxone tablets in February 2013, and the generics were initially marketed to the public in March 2013.3
The defendant at issue in the current motion is RBH. Plaintiffs allege that RBH is responsible for some or all of the antitrust conduct challenged in the Amended Complaint, including the joint venture to create and manufacture Suboxone film, establishment of theparameters for the timing of the launch and formulation of Suboxone film, gathering and investigating all consumer complaints as to Suboxone products, trademarking the names for the financial programs to encourage the switch from Suboxone tablets to film, and obtaining patents with MonoSol related to Suboxone film development. (Am. Compl. ¶ 12.) They further allege that RBH monitored the taste and quality of Suboxone film, prepared materials for regulatory approval of Suboxone film, manufactured and supplied the ingredients for Suboxone film, and provided grants for the study of Suboxone. Id.
In June 2013, several putative classes initiated litigation against Defendants alleging anticompetitive behavior with respect to the marketing and sale of Suboxone. These cases were consolidated into a multi-district litigation ("MDL") assigned to this Court. Among those cases was the class action complaint brought by Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs and End-Payor Plaintiffs alleging that Defendants unlawfully delayed and impeded competition from generic versions of Suboxone tablets, resulting in ongoing overpayments by consumers. On December 3, 2014, I issued an opinion dismissing one of the Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs' stand-alone antitrust claims, a variety of state law claims by the End-Payor Plaintiffs, and claims against several of the other Defendant entities. In re Suboxone, 64 F. Supp. 3d 665 (E.D. Pa. 2014). I allowed the remaining federal and state law claims to proceed.
On December 23, 2015, Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC ("Amneal"), a generic manufacturer and competitor of Indivior, filed a complaint regarding Indivior's alleged anticompetitive conduct with respect to Suboxone. That case was consolidated with the MDL currently before me. On January 4, 2017, I dismissed part of Amneal's claims that Indivior improperly delayed entry of generic tablets, all claims against Reckitt BenckiserPharmaceuticals, Inc., and all claims against Indivior PLC. In re Suboxone, 13-MD-2445, 2017 WL 36371 (E.D. Pa. Jan. 4, 2017).
On September 22, 2016, the Plaintiff States initiated the current litigation against Defendants, including RBH. The States filed a First Amended Complaint on November 23, 2016, setting forth five causes of action as follows: (1) monopolization under the Sherman Act § 2 against Indivior, Indivior PLC, and RBH; (2) attempted monopolization under the Sherman Act § 2 against Indivior, Indivior PLC, and RBH; (3) conspiracy to monopolize under the Sherman Act § 2 against all Defendants; (4) illegal restraint of trade under the Sherman Act § 1 against all Defendants; and (5) individual state law claims against all Defendants. On September 8, 2017, I denied Indivior's Motion to Dismiss these claims. In re Suboxone, No. 16-5073, 2017 WL 3967911 (E.D. Pa. Sept. 8, 2017).
On December 12, 2016, RBH filed a separate motion to dismiss the Amended Complaint, arguing: (1) Plaintiffs failed to set forth sufficient grounds for the exercise of personal jurisdiction over RBH and (2) Plaintiffs failed to state a claim against RBH. The States responded on January 30, 2017, and RBH filed a reply brief on February 21, 2017.
Motions to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(2) require the court to accept as true the allegations of the pleadings and all reasonable inferences therefrom, and to resolve all factual disputes in favor of the plaintiff. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(2); see also Pinker v. Roche Holdings Ltd., 292 F.3d 361, 368 (3d Cir. 2002). The Rule, however, "does not limit the scope of the court's review to the face of the pleadings"; rather the court must also consider any affidavits submitted by the parties. Scott v. Lackey, No.02-1586, 2005 WL 2035598, at *1 (M.D. Pa. Aug. 11, 2005). "Where, as here, the Court resolves the jurisdictional issue in the absence of an evidentiary hearing and without the benefit of discovery, the plaintiff need only establish a prima facie case of personal jurisdiction." Otsuka Pharm. Co., Ltd. v. Mylan Inc., 106 F. Supp. 3d 456, 461 (D.N.J. 2015) (citing Avocent Huntsville Corp. v. Aten Int'l Co., Ltd., 552 F.3d 1324, 1328-29 (Fed. Cir. 2008)). The court may always revisit the issue of personal jurisdiction if later revelations indicate that the facts alleged in support of jurisdiction remain in dispute. See Metcalfe v. Renaissance Marine, Inc., 566 F.3d 324, 331 (3d Cir. 2009) (citing Carteret Sav. Bank, FA v. Shushan, 954 F.2d 141, 142 n. 1 (3d Cir. 1992)).
Although a defendant has the initial burden of raising the defense of lack of personal jurisdiction, once such a defense is raised, the burden shifts to the plaintiff to demonstrate facts that suffice to support an exercise of personal jurisdiction. Provident Nat'l Bank v. Cal. Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass'n, 819 F.2d 434, 437 (3d Cir. 1987); Cumberland Truck Equip. Co. v. Detroit Diesel Corp., 401 F. Supp. 2d 415, 418 (E.D. Pa. 2005). Plaintiff may do so through affidavits or competent evidence that show sufficient contacts with the forum state. De Lage Landen Fin. Servs., Inc. v. Rasa Floors, LP, No. 08-0533, 2008 WL 4822033, at *3 (E.D. Pa. Nov. 4, 2008). Such contacts must be established with "reasonable particularity," to present a prima facie case. Mellon Bank (East) PSFS, Nat'l Ass'n v. Farino, 960 F.2d 1217, 1223 (3d Cir. 1992) (quoting Provident Nat'l Bank, 819 F.2d at 437). If the plaintiff meets this burden, the defendant must then establish the presence of other considerations that would render personal jurisdiction unreasonable. De Lage Landen, 2008 WL 4822033, at *3 (citing Carteret Sav. Bank, 954 F.2d at 150).
RBH argues that Plaintiffs have failed to establish either general or specific jurisdiction. I...
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