"Italy Seeks $1.6 Billion in Damages From Roche and Novartis" New York Times Syndicate May 30, 2014
PARIS — The Italian government is seeking $1.63 billion in damages from two of the world’s biggest drug companies — Novartis and Roche — for losses that it says the national health service incurred from the companies’ efforts to restrict competition in ophthalmic drugs.
The damage claim was disclosed on the Health Ministry’s website late Wednesday. The move comes after the Italian antitrust authorities in March fined the two Swiss pharmaceutical companies a combined $250 million in the same case, having found that they colluded to keep doctors from prescribing a relatively inexpensive eye treatment in favor of a more expensive drug used to treat a common cause of blindness.
The ministry statement said that the companies’ anticompetitive actions had caused the national health service “considerable damage,” although it did not provide details.
“Magistrates will ascertain the facts,” Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin told reporters Thursday. “Should it turn out that there has been an abuse, it is right that the national health fund is compensated.”
Novartis issued a statement rejecting the assertions. “We strongly deny allegations about anticompetitive practices,” it said, noting that it had appealed the antitrust authority’s fine May 2.
Roche did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but it has previously denied any impropriety, calling the charges unfounded.
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