Mass Tort brief
Corporate Defenses and Consumer Class Actions
Teva seeks to shield its Israeli origin in US court while settling an inhaler suit, as Golda faces a ₪350M labeling class action.
Mass Tort
The ₪350 million class action against Golda sets a strict regulatory enforcement benchmark against deceptive food labeling for Israeli consumer chains.
BackgroundGolda operates over 100 retail ice cream stores across Israel under Anita Glida Ltd. Israeli food regulations strictly dictate that products labeled sugar-free must contain less than 0.5 grams of sugar per 100 grams of product.
- The Central District Court in Lod certified the class action seeking ₪350 million in consumer damages, opening liability exposure across all Israeli retail locations.
- Lab tests established that Golda's coffee and hazelnut sugar-free flavors contained 6.6 grams of sugar per 100 grams, far exceeding statutory limits.
- Golda pulled the two contested flavors from store shelves after judges rejected corporate defenses claiming milk-derived sugars were exempt from statutory limits.
Mass Tort
Teva's $35 million settlement forces the delisting of six inhaler patents — clearing the path for cheaper generic asthma medications in the US.
BackgroundHealthcare and union funds sued Teva alleging the drugmaker built improper patent thickets to prevent generic competition for its QVAR asthma inhaler. Patent thickets involve filing multiple overlapping patents to artificially extend brand-name drug exclusivity.
- US District Court approved the $35 million settlement covering union healthcare funds and municipal workers, ending years of litigation over delayed generic inhaler availability.
- Teva agreed to remove six patents for its QVAR asthma inhaler from the FDA Orange Book, removing key legal barriers for competing generic drug manufacturers.
- The settlement resolves claims that Teva artificially inflated prescription asthma medication costs for union health plans, setting a precedent against pharmaceutical patent thickets.
Mass Tort
Teva's legal motion to hide its Israeli origins in US court reveals how corporate defense strategies are adapting to avoid war-related juror bias.
BackgroundTeva is headquartered in Petah Tikva, Israel, and stands as one of the world's largest generic drug manufacturers. The upcoming generic drug price-fixing lawsuit in Pennsylvania alleges Teva conspired with rival firms to artificially inflate prices on generic medications.
- Teva filed a motion in limine in Pennsylvania federal court to restrict references to its Israeli headquarters and corporate origins during jury selection and trial arguments.
- Attorneys argued that heightened public political emotions regarding the Gaza war risk prejudicing jury deliberation, potentially distorting antitrust findings on price-fixing claims.
- The antitrust lawsuit brought by Humana accuses generic manufacturers of price-fixing conspiracies across generic medications, threatening substantial civil damages for participating drugmakers.
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