WASHINGTON, Aug 22, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - The Israel-based drugmaker Teva Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay a $225 million fine to settle price-fixing charges related to three of its medicines, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) said Monday.

As part of the agreement, Teva agreed to divest from the widely used cholesterol drug pravastatin, which was at the heart of the "price-fixing conspiracy," the DoJ said in a statement.

In 2020, Teva and drugmaker Glenmark were charged by the DoJ with conspiring to fix drug prices on three medicines, including pravastatin.

Glenmark has also agreed to pay a $30 million criminal penalty, according to the statement.

"Today, the Antitrust Division and our law enforcement partners hold two more pharmaceutical companies accountable for raising prices of essential medicines and depriving Americans of affordable access to prescription drugs," Jonathan Kanter, the DoJ's assistant attorney general in its antitrust division, said in a statement.

"Companies in heavily regulated industries are on notice that the division will not hesitate to hold them accountable and will not tolerate recidivism," he added.