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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/dec/16/watchdog-accuses-actavis-hiking-price-lifesaving-drug-hydrocortisone
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| Watchdog accuses Actavis of hiking price of lifesaving drug by 12,000% Watchdog accuses Actavis of hiking price of lifesaving drug by 12,000% | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Pharmaceutical company Actavis is facing accusations from the competition watchdog that it hiked the price of life-saving hydrocortisone tablets by over 12,000%, sending the annual cost to the NHS spiralling from £522,000 before 2008 to £70m by 2015. | Pharmaceutical company Actavis is facing accusations from the competition watchdog that it hiked the price of life-saving hydrocortisone tablets by over 12,000%, sending the annual cost to the NHS spiralling from £522,000 before 2008 to £70m by 2015. |
| The Competition and Markets Authority said the price rises took place after the patent lapsed on the drug. About 943,000 packets of the tablets – prescribed to people whose adrenal glands do not produce enough steroid hormones, such as those suffering from Addison’s disease – were distributed over the last year. | The Competition and Markets Authority said the price rises took place after the patent lapsed on the drug. About 943,000 packets of the tablets – prescribed to people whose adrenal glands do not produce enough steroid hormones, such as those suffering from Addison’s disease – were distributed over the last year. |
| As the CMA set out its reasons why the company had broken competition law, the regulator’s senior responsible officer, Andrew Groves, said: “This is a lifesaving drug relied on by thousands of patients, which the NHS has no choice but to continue purchasing. | As the CMA set out its reasons why the company had broken competition law, the regulator’s senior responsible officer, Andrew Groves, said: “This is a lifesaving drug relied on by thousands of patients, which the NHS has no choice but to continue purchasing. |
| “We allege that the company has taken advantage of this situation and the removal of the drug from price regulation, leaving the NHS – and ultimately the taxpayer – footing the bill for the substantial price rises,” said Groves. | “We allege that the company has taken advantage of this situation and the removal of the drug from price regulation, leaving the NHS – and ultimately the taxpayer – footing the bill for the substantial price rises,” said Groves. |
| Actavis was bought by the Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva earlier this year but it is now in the process of selling off the operation to Intas Pharmaceuticals to comply with EU rules. Tevas said it intended to defend the allegations although it said the pricing of the hydrocortisone product had never been under its control. | |
| Teva said it brought cost savings to the NHS and it was as the UK’s largest generic medicines manufacturer. “Competition from generic medicines saves the NHS in England and Wales £13.5bn per year overall, and Teva medicines account for approximately £3.2bn of this saving. Although the pricing of the acquired Actavis product (Hydrocortisone) under investigation was never under Teva’s effective control, Teva believes that intervention by the CMA in prices for generic medicines raises serious policy concerns regarding the roles of both the CMA and the Department of Health,” the company said. | |
| The watchdog is continuing other investigations into the pharmaceutical sector. The latest allegations come after last week’s £84.2m fine on Pfizer for increasing the cost of an anti-epilepsy drug. The drugs distributor Flynn Pharma was fined £5.2m for charging excessive and unfair prices in the UK for an epilepsy treatment. | The watchdog is continuing other investigations into the pharmaceutical sector. The latest allegations come after last week’s £84.2m fine on Pfizer for increasing the cost of an anti-epilepsy drug. The drugs distributor Flynn Pharma was fined £5.2m for charging excessive and unfair prices in the UK for an epilepsy treatment. |
| Groves said the current findings against Actavis were provisional and that it was too early to conclude there had been a breach of competition law. “The CMA will carefully consider any representations of the parties under investigation before determining whether the law has been infringed,” said Groves. | Groves said the current findings against Actavis were provisional and that it was too early to conclude there had been a breach of competition law. “The CMA will carefully consider any representations of the parties under investigation before determining whether the law has been infringed,” said Groves. |
| Actavis – formerly Auden Mckenzie – is facing accusations about the prices of two forms of the hydrocortisone tablets. The CMA said the increase in price to the NHS for 10mg packs rose from 70p in April 2008 to £88 by March 2016 – a 12,000% rise. For 20mg sizes the price rise was 9,500% – increasing to £102.74 per pack by March 2016, compared with £1.07 when the treatment was still branded. | Actavis – formerly Auden Mckenzie – is facing accusations about the prices of two forms of the hydrocortisone tablets. The CMA said the increase in price to the NHS for 10mg packs rose from 70p in April 2008 to £88 by March 2016 – a 12,000% rise. For 20mg sizes the price rise was 9,500% – increasing to £102.74 per pack by March 2016, compared with £1.07 when the treatment was still branded. |
| Once medicine and treatments are no longer branded – known as generic medicine – they are no longer subject to price regulation, a move that is usually expected to reduce the cost rather than inflate it. | Once medicine and treatments are no longer branded – known as generic medicine – they are no longer subject to price regulation, a move that is usually expected to reduce the cost rather than inflate it. |