EU Commission fines Teva $500 million for trying to stop rival's multiple sclerosis drug
The European Commission has fined Israeli generic drugmaker Teva more than 460 million euros ($500 million) for improperly seeking to protect the patent for its multiple sclerosis drug and for disparaging a rival company’s development of a competing medicine
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The European Commission said Thursday it has fined Israeli generic drugmaker Teva more than 460 million euros ($500 million) for improperly seeking to protect the patent for its multiple sclerosis drug and for disparaging a rival company's development of a competing medicine.
The commission said the pharmaceutical firm “misused the patent system to artificially extend patent protection” for its blockbuster MS drug Copaxone, whose active ingredient is glatiramer acetate.
To do that, Teva conducted a “disparagement campaign” against Synthon, the only other company with an authorized drug in Europe containing glatiramer acetate, the commission said in a statement.
Teva “spread information contradicted by health authorities’ findings, seeking to sow doubt on the safety, efficacy and therapeutic equivalence of the rival product,” the EU Commission said. It said Teva officials targeted doctors and groups involved in drug pricing and reimbursement, “with the target of slowing down or blocking its competitor's entry” into several countries.
It said Teva's actions may have prevented significant savings by countries across Europe, with other versions of the drug possibly 80% cheaper than Copaxone. Teva will have to pay a fine of 462.6 million euros ($502 million) and refrain from similar practices in the future, it said.
Last year, Teva was ordered to pay $225 million to settle price fixing charges in the U.S. related to sales of a cholesterol-lowering drug. The Department of Justice said the agreement also required Teva to divest its business making and selling the drug pravastatin, a generic version of the brand-name medicine Pravachol.
Representatives for Teva did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.