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The Teva and Vifor Decisions - a first for everything?
| Date: |
04 December 2024
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| Time: |
19:00 - 20:30 (CET)
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| Speaker(s): |
Blaž Višnar
Deputy Head of Unit (Pharma & Health Services)
DG COMP
European Commission
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| Location: |
In-person / by webinar
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| CPD: |
Accredited for 1.5 hours CPD (UK SRA)
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| Registration: |
Closes at 12PM (CET) on 4 December
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On 31 October, the European Commission imposed
the highest fine ever on a pharma company for competition law
infringements in seven EU countries. According to DG COMP’s press release, the €462.6M
fine levied on Teva was the first ever for abuse of a dominant position involving
both (i) exclusionary disparagement of a competing product and (ii) the misuse
of patent procedures, aimed at delaying competition to its blockbuster medicine
for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, Copaxone.
In July, DG COMP accepted commitments by Vifor to
undo the effects of its potentially misleading communications on the safety of
the closest competing medicine for intravenous iron treatment, Monofer.
DG COMP’s latest Report
on competition enforcement in the pharmaceutical sector highlighted
a variety of complex and/or novel antitrust law practices in the pharma and life sciences sectors, such as the misuse of patent procedures, disparagement of rivals’
products, abusive / vexatious litigation and unfairly
high pricing.
Participants in this first 'Chatham House rule' in-person / webinar discussion (including
Q&As) with
Blaž
Višnar following the Teva Decision (and publication of the Vifor Decision) will
be able to better assess the Commission’s and NCAs’ latest enforcement trends
and consequently their clients’ antitrust compliance efforts ahead of the anticipated
outcomes from a pipeline of over 30 ongoing
investigations (per the Report).
List of participants (updated 20 November 2024)
Teva Decision press release (31.10.24)
Statement by EVP Margrethe Vestager (31.10.24)
Vifor Decision (non-confidential version)
Update on competition enforcement in the pharmaceutical sector (2018-2022)
DG COMP's Overview (Pharmaceuticals & Health Services) webpage
COMP's press release (26.01.24)
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