Legal Counsel

Florida sues Prime Therapeutics, Express Scripts over alleged price fixing. By CPI | August 27, 2026 Florida's attorney general sued Prime Therapeutics and Express Scripts, accusing the pharmacy benefit managers of coordinating reimbursement rates in a way that squeezed local pharmacies and potentially reduced patients' access to prescription drugs. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the lawsuit Thursday in The Villages, according to FOX 35 Orlando. The state alleges the companies violated Florida antitrust and consumer-protection laws through an arrangement that lowered payments made to pharmacies for dispensing prescription medications. The case adds to mounting scrutiny of pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, the intermediaries that negotiate drug benefits and determine reimbursement terms for pharmacies. Independent drugstores have increasingly argued that reimbursement practices can leave them dispensing some prescriptions at a loss. Florida's complaint alleges that Prime and Express Scripts reached an agreement in December 2019 under which Prime adopted lower reimbursement rates associated with Express Scripts. The arrangement took effect in April 2020, has since been extended several times and remains in place, according to the lawsuit as reported by FOX 35 Orlando. The state alleges the changes produced steep reductions in pharmacy reimbursements. Payments for brand-name medications fell as much as 80%, while those for generic drugs declined as much as 70%, according to the complaint cited by FOX 35. Florida contends the resulting rates sometimes required local pharmacies to fill prescriptions for less than their costs. Please add Competition Policy International to your preferred sources list so its news, data and interviews show up in your feed. Thanks! Uthmeier said the alleged conduct threatens both independent pharmacies and consumers who rely on them, particularly seniors and families. He accused the companies of coordinating prices and underpaying pharmacies, saying closures can leave patients with fewer options for obtaining medicines, according to FOX 35. Prime disputed the state's characterization. In a statement provided to FOX 35, the company said the lawsuit places too much emphasis on pharmacy profitability while failing to account for the costs ultimately borne by patients, employers, health plans and taxpayers. Prime said its approach has reduced consumers' pharmacy-counter costs and generated savings while preserving broad pharmacy access. Evernorth, the parent of Express Scripts, also rejected Florida's claims. The company called the allegations baseless and said it reimburses pharmacies fairly and intends to defend itself vigorously, according to FOX 35. Florida's lawsuit includes claims of conspiracy in restraint of trade under the state's antitrust law, conduct allegedly violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and unjust enrichment. The attorney general is seeking an injunction, civil penalties, damages exceeding $50,000 and a jury trial, FOX 35 reported, citing the complaint. The action follows broader pressure in Florida on the business practices of PBMs. Uthmeier's office announced an investigation in June into CVS Health and its Caremark pharmacy-benefit operation over concerns involving competition, reimbursement practices and the treatment of independent pharmacies, according to a separate FOX 35 report. The latest case shifts that scrutiny into litigation against two other major industry participants. Its outcome could help determine how far Florida can use state antitrust and consumer-protection statutes to challenge the reimbursement arrangements that sit between health plans, benefit managers and neighborhood pharmacies. FOX 35 said its reporting was based on Uthmeier's Aug. 27 announcement in The Villages, the lawsuit released afterward and responses the station obtained from Prime Therapeutics and Evernorth/Express Scripts. Iowa, Montana ask Supreme Court to halt Paramount merger challenge. By CPI | August 27, 2026 Iowa and Montana have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a multistate antitrust challenge to Paramount Skydance Corp.'s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing that the litigation threatens a transaction they say would benefit consumers and the broader economy. The two states are seeking to stop California and other state attorneys general from pursuing their case against the combination, according to Law360, which reported on the Supreme Court filing Wednesday. Iowa and Montana characterize the opposing states' lawsuit as politically driven and contend that the transaction is procompetitive. The unusual Supreme Court request adds another layer of state-level conflict to a major media transaction already facing an antitrust fight. Law360 reported that the dispute involves Paramount Skydance's proposed purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, whose assets include Warner Bros. and CNN. Rather than simply joining the existing litigation on the side of the companies, Iowa and Montana are asking the justices to exercise the Supreme Court's authority over disputes between states. Their position is that the states challenging the transaction are using antitrust enforcement in a way that harms the economic interests of residents outside their borders. According to the filing described by Law360, Iowa and Montana maintain that the opposing attorneys general are attempting to use the courts to block a lawful media transaction for political reasons. They are seeking declaratory and injunctive relief that would prevent those states from obtaining an order stopping the merger. Please add Competition Policy International to your preferred sources list so its news, data and interviews show up in your feed. Thanks! The filing places competing views of state antitrust authority before the nation's highest court. California and its partners are pursuing their challenge on competition grounds, while Iowa and Montana argue that one group of states should not effectively determine national economic policy for other states by blocking an interstate transaction. The underlying litigation has already produced a significant setback for the companies. A federal judge in California granted temporary relief against the transaction in July, leaving the antitrust dispute headed toward further proceedings. The Supreme Court filing also underscores the increasingly complicated legal landscape surrounding large media combinations. State attorneys general can pursue antitrust claims independently of federal enforcement agencies, creating the possibility that transactions can face challenges even when other government authorities take a different view of their competitive effects. Law360 identified the U.S. Department of Justice, the California Attorney General's Office and the Iowa Attorney General's Office among the government agencies connected to the dispute. The publication also identified Paramount-related Skydance Media, Warner Bros. Discovery, Warner Bros., CNN and Netflix among companies relevant to its coverage. The Supreme Court has not yet resolved Iowa and Montana's request. The filing means the justices must first confront whether the dispute is one the court should hear directly before reaching the broader disagreement over the merger and the authority of states seeking to block it.

Poland seeks €250 million EU fine against Meta over scam ads. By CPI | August 27, 2026 Poland is pressing European Union regulators to impose a €250 million ($291 million) penalty on Meta Platforms Inc., escalating scrutiny of the social-media company over allegations that it has failed to adequately remove fraudulent advertisements. Polish Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski asked the European Commission to levy the fine, arguing that Meta's response to scam advertising has remained insufficient despite repeated notifications from Polish authorities and cybersecurity specialists, according to Reuters. The request adds to regulatory and legal pressure facing Meta over how it polices content and protects users across Facebook and Instagram. Poland's complaint centers on advertisements that authorities classified as fraudulent and the company's handling of reports seeking their removal. In a letter to the European Commission, Gawkowski cited testing by CERT Polska, Poland's national cybersecurity incident-response team. The organization identified 122 advertisements it considered fraudulent, Reuters reported. Meta declined to remove 106 of those ads, representing 86.8% of the reports, according to figures provided by the minister. Ten were taken down and six reports received no response. Gawkowski said Meta's response showed that stronger enforcement was necessary and called for tools capable of more effectively identifying and eliminating scams, misleading advertisements and promotions for illegal applications, according to Reuters. Please add Competition Policy International to your preferred sources list so its news, data and interviews show up in your feed. Thanks! The proposed €250 million penalty would mark a significant escalation in Poland's effort to hold the technology company accountable for advertising distributed through its platforms. Gawkowski has argued that the size of Meta's business and the harm allegedly suffered by Polish users warrant a financial sanction large enough to have a deterrent effect, Reuters reported. Meta has said it is investing in technology and partnerships with industry groups and law-enforcement agencies to combat increasingly sophisticated online fraud, according to Reuters. The company has characterized scammers as persistent operators whose methods continue to evolve. The dispute also follows litigation in Poland involving billionaire Rafal Brzoska, who sued Meta in 2024 after fraudulent advertisements on Facebook and Instagram allegedly used his image and circulated false claims concerning his wife, according to Reuters. A Warsaw appeals court ruled in April 2026 that Meta could be held responsible for advertisements hosted on its platforms. Meta had argued that it should not bear responsibility for fraudulent conduct by its users. Poland's push comes as Meta faces broader scrutiny over the operation and safety of its social networks. Reuters reported that the company has also faced allegations in the US concerning the effects of its products on children. Gawkowski is seeking to turn the Polish dispute into a broader European issue. He said he plans to urge European leaders at the upcoming Group of 20 summit to take a coordinated position on Meta's practices, according to Reuters. The decision on whether to pursue the requested penalty rests with European authorities. Poland's intervention nevertheless raises the stakes for Meta as governments increasingly focus on whether large online platforms are doing enough to prevent fraudulent advertising from reaching consumers. Florida sues Prime Therapeutics, Express Scripts over alleged price fixing. By CPI | August 27, 2026 Florida's attorney general sued Prime Therapeutics and Express Scripts, accusing the pharmacy benefit managers of coordinating reimbursement rates in a way that squeezed local pharmacies and potentially reduced patients' access to prescription drugs. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the lawsuit Thursday in The Villages, according to FOX 35 Orlando. The state alleges the companies violated Florida antitrust and consumer-protection laws through an arrangement that lowered payments made to pharmacies for dispensing prescription medications. The case adds to mounting scrutiny of pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, the intermediaries that negotiate drug benefits and determine reimbursement terms for pharmacies. Independent drugstores have increasingly argued that reimbursement practices can leave them dispensing some prescriptions at a loss. Florida's complaint alleges that Prime and Express Scripts reached an agreement in December 2019 under which Prime adopted lower reimbursement rates associated with Express Scripts. The arrangement took effect in April 2020, has since been extended several times and remains in place, according to the lawsuit as reported by FOX 35 Orlando. The state alleges the changes produced steep reductions in pharmacy reimbursements. Payments for brand-name medications fell as much as 80%, while those for generic drugs declined as much as 70%, according to the complaint cited by FOX 35. Florida contends the resulting rates sometimes required local pharmacies to fill prescriptions for less than their costs. Please add Competition Policy International to your preferred sources list so its news, data and interviews show up in your feed. Thanks! Uthmeier said the alleged conduct threatens both independent pharmacies and consumers who rely on them, particularly seniors and families. He accused the companies of coordinating prices and underpaying pharmacies, saying closures can leave patients with fewer options for obtaining medicines, according to FOX 35. Prime disputed the state's characterization. In a statement provided to FOX 35, the company said the lawsuit places too much emphasis on pharmacy profitability while failing to account for the costs ultimately borne by patients, employers, health plans and taxpayers. Prime said its approach has reduced consumers' pharmacy-counter costs and generated savings while preserving broad pharmacy access. Evernorth, the parent of Express Scripts, also rejected Florida's claims. The company called the allegations baseless and said it reimburses pharmacies fairly and intends to defend itself vigorously, according to FOX 35. Florida's lawsuit includes claims of conspiracy in restraint of trade under the state's antitrust law, conduct allegedly violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and unjust enrichment. The attorney general is seeking an injunction, civil penalties, damages exceeding $50,000 and a jury trial, FOX 35 reported, citing the complaint. The action follows broader pressure in Florida on the business practices of PBMs. Uthmeier's office announced an investigation in June into CVS Health and its Caremark pharmacy-benefit operation over concerns involving competition, reimbursement practices and the treatment of independent pharmacies, according to a separate FOX 35 report. The latest case shifts that scrutiny into litigation against two other major industry participants. Its outcome could help determine how far Florida can use state antitrust and consumer-protection statutes to challenge the reimbursement arrangements that sit between health plans, benefit managers and neighborhood pharmacies. FOX 35 said its reporting was based on Uthmeier's Aug. 27 announcement in The Villages, the lawsuit released afterward and responses the station obtained from Prime Therapeutics and Evernorth/Express Scripts.