MSP Recovery Claims, Series LLC v. Jazz Pharmaceuticals, PLC

District Court, N.D. California·Decided July 22, 2024·No. 5:23-cv-01591·Unknown

Opinion

MSP RECOVERY CLAIMS, SERIES LLC, Case No. 5:23-cv-01591-EJD

Plaintiff, ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO DISMISS v.

JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS, PLC, et al., Re: Dkt. No. 101 Defendants.

Plaintiff, MSP Recovery Claims, Series LLC (“MSP”), brings this class action against Defendants Jazz Pharmaceuticals, PLC, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Jazz Pharmaceuticals Ireland, LTD (collectively, “Jazz”); Express Scripts, Inc., Express Scripts Specialty Distribution Services, Inc., Curascript, Inc., and Priority Healthcare Distribution, Inc., (collectively, “Express Scripts”); Caring Voice Coalition (“CVC”); and Adira Foundation (“Adira”) (all together, “Defendants”) alleging that Defendants conspired to raise the price and quantity of two pharmaceutical drugs in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), 18 U.S.C. § 1962, as well as various states’ consumer protection and tort laws. First Am. Compl. (“FAC”), ECF No. 97. Before the Court is Defendants’ motion to dismiss MSP’s FAC pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6). Mot. to Dismiss (“Mot.”), ECF No. 101. MSP filed an opposition, and Defendants filed a reply. Opp’n, ECF No. 104; Reply, ECF No. 106. Having carefully reviewed the relevant documents, the Court finds this matter suitable for decision without oral argument pursuant to Civil Local Rule 7-1(b). For the reasons stated below, the Court GRANTS Defendants’ motion to dismiss with leave to amend. The Court previously summarized MSP’s allegations in its prior order granting Defendants’ first motions to dismiss (“Prior Order”). See Order Granting Mots. to Dismiss (“Prior Order”), ECF No. 96. These allegations remain largely unchanged and need not be repeated here. The Court will therefore only discuss the facts relevant to the present analysis. A. Factual Background This case arises out of Defendants’ alleged conspiratorial kickback scheme to circumvent congressionally mandated co-payments and increase the unit price and quantity of two prescription drugs manufactured by Jazz: Xyrem and Prialt (“Subject Drugs”). FAC ¶¶ 1, 3–4. MSP essentially alleges that Jazz donated money to CVC to be used almost exclusively to help patients pay their co-payments for the Subject Drugs. Id. ¶¶ 4, 39. As a result, patients were able to purchase the Subject Drugs for free. Id. ¶¶ 10, 72. Because more patients could now afford the Subject Drugs, more patients placed orders for the Subject Drugs through their health care insurance providers, and Jazz’s profits increased accordingly. See id. ¶¶ 14, 15, 246, 511. As demand for the Subject Drugs increased, MSP alleges that Jazz also raised their prices exponentially. Id. In the end, Jazz allegedly acquired unlawfully obtained profits from artificially inflated purchases and supra-competitive pricing. Id. ¶ 4. MSP also alleges that Jazz paid pharmacies, including Express Scripts, to refer patients to CVC. Id. ¶ 6. Upon receiving co-pay assistance from CVC, these pharmacies would generate and submit claims for payment directly to Medicare and Medicaid health plans. Id. According to MSP, this scheme injured the Medicare and Medicaid health care insurance providers who had to pay for the Subject Drugs at artificially inflated rates and supra-competitive pricing. See id. ¶ 16. MSP brings this action on behalf of the following seven Medicare and Medicaid health insurance coverage companies (“Assignors”) who paid out claims for the Subject Drugs during the period of allegedly unlawful conduct: (1) AvMed, Inc., (“AvMed”), assigned claims to MSP on June 19, 2019, id. ¶ 77; (2) SummaCare, Inc., (“SummaCare”), assigned claims to MSP on May 12, 2017. id. ¶ 81; (3) Network Health, Inc., (“NHPN”), assigned claims to MSP on August 9, 2017, id. ¶ 88; (4) Health Alliance Medical Plans, Inc., (“HEAL”), assigned claims to MSP on March 19, 2019, id. ¶ 97; (5) Fallon Community Health (“FCHP”), assigned claims to MSP on June 19, 2017, id. ¶ 104; (6) Group Health Incorporated and Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (“EHTH”), assigned claims to MSP on March 20, 2018, id. ¶ 108; and (7) ConnectiCare, Inc., (“CONC”), assigned claims to MSP on March 20, 2018, id. ¶ 114. B. Procedural History MSP originally filed this action on April 3, 2023, on behalf of one named Assignor, SummaCare, and an unknown amount of unnamed assignors, claiming $700,000 in damages acquired from “at least” January 1, 2011, through April 3, 2023. See Compl., ECF No. 1. On December 12, 2023, the Court granted Defendants’ motions to dismiss. See Prior Order. The Court held that MSP could not brings claims on behalf of unnamed assignors, and MSP failed to establish that the one named assignor, SummaCare, suffered an injury-in-fact. Id. Specifically, the Court found that MSP failed to plead facts sufficient to show “when SummaCare experienced an injury, what injury SummaCare experienced during the relevant period of allegedly unlawful conduct, and to whom SummaCare paid the $700,000 that serves as the basis of its injury.” Prior Order 8. The Court granted leave to amend. Id. MSP filed the FAC on January 5, 2024. See FAC. The factual allegations remain largely unchanged, but MSP added six new Assignors and now alleges damages of $3,000,000 incurred from January 1, 2011, through 2020. Id. ¶ 69. Defendants filed a joint motion to dismiss the FAC on February 20, 2024. See Mot. A. Rule 12(b)(1) A district court must dismiss an action if it lacks jurisdiction over the subject matter of the suit. Fed. Rules Civ. Pro. 12(b)(1). Once a defendant moves to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, the plaintiff has the burden of establishing the court’s jurisdiction. Chandler v. State Farm Fut. Auto. Ins. Co., 598 F.3d 1115, 1122 (9th Cir. 2010). B. Rule 12(b)(6) A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). A defendant may move to dismiss a complaint for failing to state a claim upon which relief can be granted under Rule 12(b)(6). When deciding whether to grant a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), the court must generally accept as true all “well-pleaded factual allegations.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 664 (2009). While a plaintiff need not offer detailed factual allegations to meet this standard, she is required to offer “sufficient factual matter . . . ‘to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Id. at 678 (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). The court must construe the alleged facts in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. See Retail Prop. Trust v. United Bd. of Carpenters & Joiners of Am., 768 F.3d 938, 945 (9th Cir. 2014) (“[The court] must accept as true all factual allegations in the complaint and draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the nonmoving party.”). However, “courts are not bound to accept as true a legal conclusion couched as a factual allegation.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678. Claims sounding in fraud must also meet the heightened pleading requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 9(b). See Vess v. Ciba-Geigy Corp. USA,

MSP Recovery Claims, Series LLC v. Jazz Pharmaceuticals, PLC, (N.D. Cal. 2024).

MSP Recovery Claims, Series LLC v. Jazz Pharmaceuticals, PLC (MSP Recovery Claims, Series LLC v. Jazz Pharmaceuticals, PLC) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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