UK’s CMA Fines Firms After Drug Collusion Probe

Four drugs firms have been fined £3.4 million (US$4.4 million) with a £1 million (US$1.3 million) payment to be made to the National Health Service (NHS) for conspiring to push up prices of an anti-depressant.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) stated King Pharmaceuticals and the pharma arm of Auden Mckenzie colluded to fix quantities and prices for the supply of nortriptyline to a large drugs wholesaler between September 2014 and May 2015.

The competition watchdog has also hit King, Lexon’s UK business, and Alissa Healthcare Research with penalties for illegally sharing commercially-sensitive information to try to keep nortriptyline prices up between 2015 and 2017.

Nortriptyline is prescribed by the NHS and relied on by thousands of patients every month to relieve the symptoms of depression.

NHS spending on the drug peaked at £38 million (US$48.9 million) in 2015. King and Auden Mckenzie have admitted breaking the law and the CMA stated it was holding the new owner of Auden’s nortriptyline business – Accord-UK – responsible, despite it buying the division after the market-sharing ended.

The CMA has fined King £75,573 (US$97,238.69) and Accord-UK £1.9 million (US$2.4 million).

Full Content:Pharma Intelligence

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