A Dutch public interest group has filed a lawsuit claiming AbbVie breached a duty to human rights by using unfair and excessive pricing to bolster sales of its Humira drug and dominate the market at the expense of the health care system in the Netherlands.
In making its case, the Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation argued AbbVie allegedly overcharged the Dutch health care system by up to $1.2 billion by “abusing” its position in the marketplace and keeping prices high. The company sold approximately $2.3 billion worth of Humira in the Netherlands between 2004 and 2018, when its patents provided a monopoly.