The European Commission has fined Teva €462.6 million for spreading misleading information and abusing its dominant position to delay competition to its multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone. Teva engaged in a disparagement campaign against a competitor, hindering their market entry. They also misused the patent system by filing multiple divisional patents with the European Patent Office. This delay in competition prevented significant savings for public health budgets. Synthon, the rival company, eventually won a ruling that Teva’s product patent was invalid, allowing them to return to the market. The potential price reduction for generic products was estimated to be around 40%, but once the rival product entered the market, list prices decreased by up to 80%. Teva plans to appeal the ruling.
Source link
MS Drugmaker Fined €462.6 Million for Disparaging Rival
