Legal Issues

Teva has been fined €463m – just over half a billion US dollars – over a breach of EU antitrust rules, after the European Commission found that it abused its dominant position to delay competition to Copaxone, including by misusing the patent system and disparaging rivals. The firm has strongly disagreed with the decision – which is claims is “legally untested” and “not supported by the facts” – and says it will appeal.

The European Medicines Agency is conducting a public consultation on proposed revisions to its policy on how it handles any conflicts of interest of its scientific committee members and experts.

Teva has been fined €463m – just over half a billion US dollars – over a breach of EU antitrust rules, after the European Commission found that it abused its dominant position to delay competition to Copaxone, including by misusing the patent system and disparaging rivals. The firm has strongly disagreed with the decision – which is claims is “legally untested” and “not supported by the facts” – and says it will appeal.

Sandoz has indicated that Amgen’s recently-announced at-risk US launch of a rival to Eylea doesn’t change its thinking around launch timing for its own FDA-approved aflibercept biosimilar.

A court order encompassing funding, drug pricing, clinical trials and overall policy implementation aspects is expected to cause a paradigm shift in the treatment of rare diseases in India. Sarepta, Roche and Sanofi are among the companies that have been part of pricing discussions.

The latest twist in MSN’s legal fight with Novartis over Entresto has seen a US court rule that the FDA was correct to approve MSN’s skinny-label generic, which carves out certain protected Entresto indications. However, an appeal has already been filed and an imminent generic launch looks unlikely.

A court order encompassing funding, drug pricing, clinical trials and overall policy implementation aspects is expected to bring about a paradigm shift in the treatment of rare diseases in India. Sarepta, Roche and Sanofi are among the key players that have been part of pricing discussions.

Teva resolved two US Department of Justice civil suits accusing the firm of violating the US Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act by allegedly conspiring to fix the price of three generic drugs and paying Medicare patients’ copays for its multiple sclerosis brand product Copaxone.

The College of American Pathologists wants a US district court to scrap the FDA’s final rule that unilaterally assumes oversight of lab-developed tests, but not because the college feels the agency has no business regulating them. Helena Duncan, senior director of quality at CAP, explained the college’s position to Medtech Insight.

In the space of a few days, all four generics manufacturers that had successfully petitioned for a re-examination of a key patent shielding Novo Nordisk’s mega blockbuster Ozempic have reached settlement agreements terminating their challenges.