Press Release: Antitrust: Commission sends Statement of Objections to Lundbeck and others for preventing market entry of generic antidepressant medicine

The European Commission has informed the Danish pharmaceutical company Lundbeck of its objections regarding agreements concluded with four generic competitors concerning citalopram, a blockbuster antidepressant. The Commission is of the preliminary view that the agreements aimed at preventing the market entry of cheaper generic medicines, in violation of EU antitrust rules.

The Statement of Objections is also addressed to Merck KGaA, Generics UK, Arrow, Resolution Chemicals, Xellia Pharmaceuticals, Alpharma, A.L. Industrier and Ranbaxy, which belonged to the generic groups that concluded the agreements. The sending of a Statement of Objections does not prejudge the final outcome of the investigation.

European Commission: Memo/12/593: Antitrust: Commission enforcement action in pharmaceutical sector following sector inquiry http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/12/593&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

---