ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson says 12 pharmaceutical companies have been added to a price-fixing lawsuit.

Swanson announced the expansion of the suit Tuesday. She originally filed the lawsuit in 2016 along with prosecutors in 45 other states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The suit alleges collusion that resulted in sharp price increases for generic drugs.

Swanson says when many patients couldn't afford their prescriptions, "these companies colluded to jack up the prices even higher."

The Star Tribune reports the companies added to the lawsuit make up a substantial share of the generic drug market.

An official of the Association for Accessible Medicines, a trade industry group for the generic drug industry, says the association and its member companies "are committed to supporting policies that promote competition."

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