David Y. Ige

HONOLULU – The complaint filed yesterday in federal court to stop Hawai’i’s civil enforcement action against pharmaceutical companies Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi for violation of the State’s consumer protection statutes is a shameful litigation tactic and a desperate attempt by these defendants to avoid facing justice in the pending state court trial.  The defendants have litigated the state court action for the last six years, and yet they deliberately waited until three months before the state court trial to file this motion.  Not only does this motion improperly attempt to get a federal judge involved in an ongoing state matter, it was filed only after every one of the defense’s other attempts to prevent a trial in state court failed.  The state court trial is scheduled for April 27, 2020, and the State of Hawai’i is now tasked with responding to the matters raised in federal court at the same time as it prepares for trial.

The citizens of the state will learn the truth about the conduct of these pharmaceutical companies during the public trial.  To ensure that this trial takes place without impediment, the Department of the Attorney General will vigorously defend against this unfortunate defense strategy and continue to hold defendants accountable for their unethical conduct.  The State of Hawai’i is committed to ensuring that its citizens are treated fairly and honestly, especially when it comes to disclosures made about pharmaceutical drugs.

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For more information, contact:

Krishna F. Jayaram
Special Assistant to the Attorney General
(808) 586-1284
Email: [email protected]
Web: https://ag.hawaii.gov
Twitter: @ATGHIgov