Raleigh -- October 1, 2026: North Carolina consumers who bought certain generic prescription medications over a ten-year span may be entitled to cash compensation following the preliminary court approval of a nationwide multistate settlement plan.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced that North Carolina, alongside a bipartisan coalition of 47 other states and territories, has reached agreements totaling $96.5 million in restitution with multiple major pharmaceutical manufacturers accused of orchestrating illegal price-fixing schemes.
“North Carolinians are getting money back to make up for unfairly high drug costs they paid in the past,” Jackson stated. “We’re always going to hold companies accountable when they break the law and rig the system so they can charge people more.”
How Consumers Can File a Claim
Consumers who purchased covered generic drugs between May 1, 2009, and December 31, 2019, are encouraged to check their eligibility and submit a claim for payment.
To take part in the settlement:
Review the medication list: Visit the official settlement portal to confirm whether a generic medication purchased between May 2009 and December 2019 is included.
Verify eligibility: Check requirements online at www.AGGenericDrugs.com, call toll-free at 1-866-290-0182, or email info@AGGenericDrugs.com.
Submit documentation: Eligible residents can submit their claim directly through www.AGGenericDrugs.com before the filing deadline.
A Web of Collusion and Industry 'Sandbox' Agreements
The distributed restitution comes from settlements reached with several pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Glenmark, Lannett, Bausch, Apotex, Heritage, and Heritage’s parent company, Emcure.
According to state antitrust filings, the settlements stem from extensive investigations revealing that high-ranking pharmaceutical executives routinely colluded to artificially inflate prices, avoid price competition, and allocate market share.
State investigators documented a coordinated culture of collusion where competing corporate leaders communicated at industry dinners, cocktail parties, golf outings, lunches, and so-called “girls nights out”. Court filings reveal executives coordinated using code words such as securing their “fair share,” “playing nice in the sandbox,” and acting as a “responsible competitor” to keep generic drug prices high.
Ongoing Antitrust Actions
The nationwide litigation continues against remaining pharmaceutical companies across multiple federal complaints:
First complaint: Addressed Heritage Pharmaceuticals, 17 additional corporate defendants, two individual executives, and 15 generic medications.
Second complaint: Filed against Teva Pharmaceuticals and 21 of the country's largest generic manufacturers, naming 16 senior executives.
Third complaint: Set to go to trial first, centering on 80 topical generic drugs accounting for billions in U.S. sales, naming 26 corporate defendants and 10 individual defendants.
Fourth complaint: Targets Novartis AG, Sandoz Group AG, and Sandoz AG, alleging liability for anticompetitive conduct and fraudulent asset transfers.
Attorney General Jackson joined attorneys general across the country in securing the plan, including officials from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, the Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.