• The Chicago Tribune , Wednesday, March 19, 2008 11:15 AM

Abbott Laboratories and two units of Solvay SA--which co-promotes the cholesterol drug Tricor--illegally blocked competition by creating new formulations of the medication with only minor changes as a way to extend patents and prevent cheaper generic versions from coming to market, according to a lawsuit filed by attorneys general from 18 states in U.S. District Court in Delaware.

Tricor--with $1.2 billion in sales last year--is a fenofibrate, which works to raise HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, while also reducing a form of fat in the bloodstream known as triglycerides. It costs more than $3 a pill, compared with generics that can be one-third the cost or even less over time.

"We cannot permit drug companies to edge out competition and potentially less expensive generic alternatives," says Florida attorney general Bill McCollum, who is leading the litigation on behalf of other attorneys general. Abbott denied the allegations. A spokesman for Solvay says the company "has not engaged in any wrongdoing and intends to vigorously defend itself."

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