Teva
Flagged · AvoidSold blood pressure pills with a possible carcinogen, paid a $225 million fine for fixing generic drug prices, and settled opioid claims for $4.25 billion.
Last updated October 5, 2026
Reasons to avoid
Issues span:ConsumerEnvironmentLaborAntitrust
$4.25 billion opioid marketing settlement
Teva agreed to pay $4.25 billion to settle opioid crisis lawsuits with all 50 U.S. states, one of the largest pharmaceutical opioid settlements in history. The Nevada settlement in June 2023 was the final state agreement, completing a nationwide deal that found Teva had aggressively marketed addictive painkillers while downplaying addiction risks.Paid $225 million for generic price-fixing
The U.S. Department of Justice charged Teva with conspiring to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate customers for generic drugs including a common cholesterol medication and two infection treatments, overcharging consumers by more than $350 million. Teva paid a $225 million criminal fine in August 2023 under a deferred prosecution agreement.Puerto Rico plant violated environmental laws
A Teva pharmaceutical manufacturing subsidiary in Guayama, Puerto Rico agreed in April 2020 to pay $539,784 in penalties after the EPA and DOJ found it had violated the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act at its facility.Bribed officials in Russia, Ukraine, Mexico
The SEC and DOJ announced a $519 million settlement with Teva in December 2016 — the largest FCPA fine ever imposed on a pharmaceutical company — after finding the company had bribed government officials in Russia, Ukraine, and Mexico to increase sales of its multiple sclerosis drug. Teva made more than $214 million in illicit profits through the bribery scheme.Banned from pay-for-delay generic deals
The Federal Trade Commission reached a global settlement with Teva in February 2019 banning it from entering into reverse-payment agreements that pay generic competitors to delay entering the market with lower-cost alternatives. The settlement resolved three separate federal antitrust lawsuits and permanently prohibited the world's largest generic drugmaker from blocking price competition.Recalled 580,000 bottles with potential carcinogen
Teva recalled over 580,000 bottles of the blood pressure medication prazosin in 2025 after testing found contamination with N-nitroso Prazosin, a potential carcinogen, at levels above FDA acceptable limits. It was the latest in a pattern of quality control failures that have led to multiple Teva drug recalls in recent years.
Ethical alternatives
Common questions
- Should I avoid Teva?
- Teva agreed to pay $4.25 billion to settle opioid crisis lawsuits with all 50 U.S. states after aggressively marketing addictive painkillers while downplaying addiction risks. The DOJ also charged the company with price-fixing generic drugs, overcharging consumers by more than $350 million, resulting in a $225 million criminal fine in 2023. The company also paid $519 million in 2016 for bribing government officials in Russia, Ukraine, and Mexico.
- Why should I avoid Teva?
- Teva is at the center of three major enforcement actions: opioid settlement, criminal price-fixing, and foreign bribery. It has also recalled over 580,000 bottles of blood pressure medication contaminated with a potential carcinogen, the latest in a pattern of quality control failures. The FTC banned the company from paying generic competitors to delay cheaper alternatives from reaching market.
- What are the best ethical alternatives to Teva?
- Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs offers generic medications at transparent near-cost pricing with no hidden markups. You can also ask your pharmacist to dispense the same generic from a different manufacturer. GoodRx helps compare prices across pharmacies to find the lowest available cost for your prescriptions.
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