SPERLING KENNY NACHWALTER SECURES $155 MILLION PLAINTIFFS’ ANTITRUST VERDICT
May 22, 2026 - Sperling Kenny Nachwalter secured a $155 million jury verdict, which will be trebled to $465 million, in favor of its four clients against Defendant Takeda Pharmaceutical following a 5-week trial in Federal Court in Boston. The jury found that Takeda unlawfully delayed generic competition for its drug Amitiza, resulting in substantial unlawful overcharges to the plaintiffs.
The firm represented national retail chains with pharmacies and joined a multi-firm trial team that won a total damages award of over $885 million for all plaintiffs.
This case is particularly significant because it marks the first jury verdict against a pharmaceutical company since the United States Supreme Court decided in 2013 that pharmaceutical companies may violate antitrust laws by delaying a generic alternative from entering the market, often referred to as Pay-For-Delay violations.
Jonathan Stratton, a partner in the firm’s Miami office and former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, served as lead trial counsel for the firm’s retailer plaintiffs, presenting opening statements and closing arguments to the jury. He joined the firm in October 2025 after more than a decade as a federal prosecutor, during which he tried numerous complex and high-stakes cases. Other firm attorneys at trial included Miami partner Scott E. Perwin, Austin partner Lauren C. Ravkind, Chicago counsel Dave Lesht, and Nashville associate Campbell Haynes. Miami partner Anna T. Neill has represented the firm’s retailer plaintiffs from the case inception.
“More generics, more competition, lower prices — that is what the antitrust laws are designed to deliver, and that is what Takeda denied to purchasers for years,” Stratton said. “This week’s verdict holds them accountable for that choice and makes clear that pharmaceutical companies cannot buy their way out of competition. We thank the jury for their diligence and careful consideration of the evidence in rendering the correct result.”
The case reflects the firm’s continued focus on complex antitrust litigation and its commitment to advancing competitive markets through rigorous trial advocacy.
Media coverage includes:
Law360 - Takeda Liable In IBS Drug Pay-For-Delay Trial
Bloomberg Law - Takeda Hit With $885 Million Verdict in Pay-for-Delay Case (2)
Reuters - Takeda engaged in antitrust scheme to delay generic constipation drug, US jury finds
About Sperling Kenny Nachwalter, LLC
Sperling Kenny Nachwalter is a nationally renowned law firm skilled at representing businesses and individuals in high-stakes, complex business-related disputes in courts and before arbitration panels throughout the U.S.
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