Attorney General Issues Subpoena to Watson Pharmaceuticals in Medi-Cal Price Investigation
Watson Pharmaceuticals was issued a subpoena from Attorney General Bill Lockyer (D) requesting records on the company's drug pricing, according to documents filed by the generic drug maker on Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Bloomberg/New York Times reports (Bloomberg/New York Times, 11/7). The subpoena, which was issued in August, is likely part of an investigation in which the state in January filed suit against Wyeth and Abbott Laboratories for charging Medi-Cal inflated drug prices, according to the Wall Street Journal. Hallye Jordan, press secretary for Lockyer, said, "We have pending investigations into several pharmaceutical manufacturers; however, to date we have only filed cases against Wyeth and Abbott, and would not be able to respond to inquiries about other possible investigations" (Wall Street Journal, 11/7). Corona-based Watson has not yet responded to the subpoena. Watson is among 13 drug companies being sued by Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas Reilly (D) for allegedly defrauding the state's Medicaid program by inflating drug prices, according to Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times. Watson also is one of 26 drug companies that has received requests for further information from a congressional committee conducting a Medicaid drug pricing investigation, Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times reports (Bloomberg /Los Angeles Times, 11/7).
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