Italy Probes Roche & Novartis For Forming A ‘Cartel’

The latest chapter in the controversy over the use of over two Roche drugs for treating wet macular degeneration – Avastin and Lucentis – is being written in Italy, where antitrust regulators opened a probe into whether the drugmaker and Novartis, which markets one of the medicines in Europe, formed a cartel. Specifically, the Italian Competition authority is investigating whether the drugmakers may have struck an “illicit agreement” to exclude ophthalmic use of Avastin and favor the sales of Lucentis. Roche’s Genentech unit developed both drugs, although Lucentis is marketed in Europe by Novartis. The regulator visited their Italian offices last week as part of the probe. However, as the regulator notes in a statement, Lucentis is much more expensive than Avastin, and Roche did not seek labeling for Avastin, which is a cancer medication, for ophthalmic use. However, Lucentis is currently reimbursed by the Italian healthcare system for this purpose, according to the ICA (here is the statement). Consequently, an association of private health care facilities and the Italian Ophtalmological Society filed complaints and argue that damages of the alleged violations may amount to hundreds of millions of Euros per year. At issue is whether the drugmakers violated Article 101 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibits restrictive business practices. The issue has resonated widely in the US, where Roche sells both drugs and ha...
Source: Pharmalot - Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Antitrust Avastin Lucentis Novartis Roche Wet Macular Degeneraiton Source Type: blogs