'A group of consumers has filed a class-action lawsuit against Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma for presenting what they say is a "sham" petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to extend the market exclusivity period for its transplant drug Prograf. According to Courthouse News Service, the lawsuit alleges that Astellas filed its petition not out of a concern for public health, but rather to simply extend its monopoly on the overpriced drug, which reportedly rakes in nearly $1 billion a year for Astellas.

Astellas "filed a baseless citizen petition with the FDA with the sole intent of foreclosing market entry by generic competitors, that improperly extended its monopoly and kept Prograf prices at supra-competitive levels," says the complaint. And this petition served as a placeholder for Astellas to continue marketing the drug at inflated prices, as the FDA reportedly took almost two years to provide a proper response.'

Read more: Japanese Pharmaceutical Company Tries to Ban Generic Versions of Prograf Drug to Extend its Monopoly