EU Commission moves forward on anti-trust issues with Lundbeck and others

The European Commission yesterday advised Danish CNS drug specialist Lundbeck (LUN: CO) of its objections regarding agreements concluded with four generic competitors concerning citalopram (trade name Cipramil), its blockbuster antidepressant.

The Commission opening its formal antitrust investigation into Lundbeck in 2010, as part of its ongoing questioning of the activities of European pharmaceutical companies, which have, over the past, included “dawn raids” on their premises (The Pharma Letter January 7, 2010).

The Commission now says it is of the preliminary view that the agreements aimed at preventing the market entry of cheaper generic medicines, in violation of European Union antitrust rules. The Statement of Objections is also addressed to Merck KGaA, Generics UK, Arrow, Resolution Chemicals, Xellia Pharmaceuticals, Alpharma, AL 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.