Healthy Skepticism Library item: 17781
Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.
Publication type: Electronic Source
Silverman E
France Probes Sanofi For Anticompetitive Practices
Pharmalot 2010 May 20
http://www.pharmalot.com/2010/05/frances-probes-sanofi-for-anticompetitive-practices/
Full text:
The French Competition Authority is investigating allegations made by Teva Sante, a unit of Teva Pharmaceuticals, that Sanofi-Aventis disparaged generic versions of its best-selling Plavix bloodthinner, and deliberately attempted to restrict generic access to the marketplace.
In its November 2009 complaint, Teva charged that Sanofi’s communications with doctors and pharmacists emphasized differences between Plavix and generics, including Teva’s 75mg version, without revealing the differences. However, Sanofi failed to say the differences have no therapeutic significance or effect on safety or efficacy (see the statement).
Sanofi’s communications with scientists and practitioners emphasised differences between Plavix and competing generics, including Teva’s clopidogrel 75 mg, without revealing that these differences have no impact on the therapeutic efficacy of the product or that the generic was tested and approved by medical authorities elsewhere in Europe. Plavix, which is jointly marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb, generated $9.8 billion in sales last year, but faces US patent expiration in 2011 and in 2013 in Europe.
“The Authority’s decision to investigate Sanofi-Aventis’ behaviour underlines our view that such practices are likely to prevent access to competition and damage the long-term interests of patients,” Gerard van Odijk, Teva Europe’s ceo, says in a statement. Maurice Chagnaud, Teva Sante’s ceo, adds that brand-name companies “need to understand that they cannot use misleading practices to prevent competition from therapeutically equivalent and effective generic products.”
