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DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) -- Iowa has joined 17 states in suing two drug companies for allegedly blocking the sale of generic, cholesterol-lowering drugs.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal district court in Delaware.
It alleges that French drug maker Fournier and its American-based partner Abbott Laboratories conspired to prevent and delay the availability of the generic version of a drug called TriCor.
The lawsuit accuses the companies of violating antitrust laws.
It seeks triple the amount of damages it claims state public health agencies suffered as a result of the delays. It also seeks damages incurred by individual consumers.
The District of Columbia has also joined the lawsuit.
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