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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND UNITED STATES, et al., Plaintiffs, ex rel. LAURI LITTLEWOOD, Relator, v. KING PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., et al., Defendants. MEMORANDUM OPINION1 Lauri Littlewood, the relator, filed this qui tam action on April 16, 2010, on behalf of the United States and various states,2 against King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("King"), Alpharma, Inc. ("Alpharma"), and IBSA Biochemique SA ("IBSA"), pursuant to the False Claims Act, 31 This Memorandum Opinion was originally filed under seal on June 13, 2011 (ECF 22), accompanied by an Order (ECF 23) staying the unsealing of this case for thirty days, to permit any party to file a motion for reconsideration or notice of appeal. On July 8, 2011, pursuant to a joint motion to extend the stay filed by the relator and the United States, the Court entered an Order (ECF 25) extending the stay until August 15, 2011. No motion or notice of appeal was filed during the stay period. Therefore, on August 17, 2011, I entered an Order to Unseal and to Dismiss (ECF 26). The text of this version of the Memorandum Opinion is identical to the version that was filed under seal on June 13, 2011, with the exception of the addition of this footnote and minor stylistic and citation corrections, made for purposes of publication. Notably, during the stay period, in another False Claims Act case pending in this Court, Judge Catherine C. Blake issued an opinion reaching conclusions similar to those in the case sub judice. See United States ex rel. Rostholder v. Omnicare, Inc., ___ F. Supp. 2d ___, 2011 WL 3236016 (D. Md. July 28, 2011). The qui tam states are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as the District of Columbia. On June 7, 2010, the state of Montana separately declined intervention. See ECF 7.
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Civil Action No. ELH-10-973

U.S.C.

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