A PYMNTS Company

Brazil: Merck fined for pay-for-delay deal

By  |  August 12, 2014

Pharmaceutical conglomerate Merck has been issued a fine of $1.8 million by Brazilian antitrust authorities for engaging in pay-for-delay agreements.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    Antitrust regulator CADE lodged the fine in response to Merck’s attendance at a meeting joined by top rivals Bayer, Abbott Laboratories, Bristol-Myers, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Roche and more, say reports. The meeting allowed the companies to discuss paying generic drug makers to keep their competing products off pharmacy shelves, CADE found.

    CADE also said that the other pharmaceutical companies were already fined years ago.

    Merck argued that there was a lack of evidence in CADE’s decision and that it didn’t even sell generic drugs in Brazil until 2 years ago, after the meeting had occurred. Merck said it may appeal the ruling.

    Full content: Fierce Pharma

    Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.