ALBANY, N.Y. – New York's attorney general is dropping a lawsuit against a drug manufacturer after blocking what he said was an attempt to switch Alzheimer's patients to a newer patented drug.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (SHNEYE'-dur-muhn) had sued Allergan PLC to prevent the company from withdrawing Namenda, a popular Alzheimer's treatment, a few months before lower-cost generic drugs became available.
Schniederman's office argued the move was timed to force patients onto a new patented drug Namenda XR instead of the generics.
A federal judge agreed, requiring Allergan to continue distributing the older drug until generics were available.
Schneiderman said Wednesday the lawsuit has been resolved now that patients can choose between the new drug and generic alternatives.
Allergan, previously known as Actavis, confirmed the settlement. The company agreed to pay $172,000 in legal fees.
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