Lundbeck depressed by court ruling in 'pay-for-delay' case

The General Court of the European Union has upheld a 2013 decision to fine the Danish central nervous system specialist Lundbeck (LUND: CO) for violating competition law over its anti-depressant drug Cipramil (citalopram).

In what have been called ‘pay-for-delay’ tactics, Lundbeck was found to have agreed deals with producers of generic medicines for them to hold back the launch of their cheaper versions of the blockbuster drug, with the Commission’s vice president Joaquín Almunia calling it “unacceptable that a company pays off its competitors to stay out of its market” and thereby " harming patients and national health systems”.

Lundbeck had appealed against the decision of the Commission but had this rejected on Thursday by the General Court.