Possible anticompetitive disparagement of iron medicine viewed by EC

The European Commission says it is inviting comments on commitments offered by Switzerland-based Vifor to address competition concerns over the alleged disparagement of its closest - and potentially only – competing treatment in Europe for intravenous iron treatment, Denmark’s Pharmacosmos' Monofer (iron isomaltoside).

Following the opening of a formal investigation in June 2022, the Commission preliminarily found that Vifor, with its Ferinject (ferric carboxymaltose), is dominant in several national markets for the provision of intravenous iron medicines, namely in Austria, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands.

The Commission is concerned that Vifor, which is now a subsidiary of Australia-headquartered biotech CSL Limited (ASX: CSL), may have restricted competition in the market for intravenous iron treatment by illegally disparaging Monofer, an iron deficiency treatment by its closest competitor in Europe, Pharmacosmos.