AbbVie, partner ordered to pay $448M in AndroGel antitrust case brought by FTC

Even as AbbVie defends against thousands of AndroGel liability cases, the company and partner Besins Healthcare must pay nearly $450 million for illegally blocking generic competition to the testosterone product with "baseless" patent litigation, a judge said.U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle ordered the companies to pay $448 million after finding that competitor Perrigo would have entered the market with a generic in June 2013 if not for a "sham" patent lawsuit filed by AbbVie, as alleged by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).An AbbVie representative said the company is "disappointed" with the result."We believe our conduct was lawful and the damages award is improper," she added. The company intends to appeal.The FTC filed its lawsuit against AbbVie and other companies in 2014. At the time, the agency alleged AbbVie filed sham lawsuits against Perrigo and Teva, and that it entered an illegal "pay-for-delay" deal with Teva.