The nationally recognized mass tort law firm Levin Papantonio Rafferty (LPR) announces that LPR Attorney Troy Rafferty has been appointed as Co-Lead Counsel for the State AG Track, and LPR Attorney Brandon Bogle has been appointed as Co-Lead Counsel for the Self-Funded Payer Track in the Insulin Pricing multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 3080).

Recommendations for the appointment of Lead Counsel, Executive and Steering Committees, and Liaison Counsel were submitted on November 27, 2023, by all parties in the MDL.

The State Attorney General Track will include lawsuits brought on behalf of states.

“People assume insulin prices are high because the drug is costly to make. Really, the only thing driving up prices is greed,” Rafferty said. “It’s costing just about every State, which rains down on taxpayers. Most importantly, it costs lives.”

The Self-Funder Payer Track will comprise actions brought individually on behalf of self-funded payers or self-funded payer groups. This includes local governments, like counties, cities, schools, and non-profit organizations (among others) that pay for prescription drugs provided to health plan members who have prescription drug coverage.

Bogle said it’s high time for these entities to recover decades of exorbitant costs.

“Cities and counties across this country have been paying outsized premiums from their dwindling budgets on insulin and other type 2 diabetes drugs for their employees,” Bogle said. “I personally look forward to recouping those ill gotten gains from the defendants in this case.”

About the Insulin Pricing MDL

On August 4, 2023, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) created an MDL for insulin pricing lawsuits. The JPML issued a Transfer Order to centralize lawsuits alleging that drug manufacturers and pharmacy benefit manufacturers (PBMs) engaged in an unfair and deceptive conspiracy to orchestrate an insulin pricing scheme.

Defendants in these actions include insulin manufacturers Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk, Inc., and Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC, and, on the PBM side, CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, Optum Rx, and their various corporate affiliates.

LPR law firm has filed insulin pricing lawsuits against insulin manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) on behalf of the Arizona Attorney General; Lake County, Illinois; City of Cleveland; Monmouth County, New Jersey; Albany County, New York; Pinellas County, FL; Arlington County, VA; City of Alexandria, VA; Washington County, MD; St. Mary’s County, MD; and Henrico County, VA.