The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7176 p767-773
1 December 2001

This article
Reprint
Photocopy

News summary

EC fines vitamins cartel euro 855m

The European Commission has fined eight pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturers a total of euro855m (£530m) for taking part in a cartel to fix the price of bulk vitamins as raw materials for supplements and foodstuffs.

The highest fines were levied on F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (euro462m) and BASF AG (euro296m) because of their central involvement in cartels for each of the 11 vitamin groups covered. Smaller fines were levied on Aventis SA, Solvay Pharmaceuticals BV, Merck KgaA, Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Eisai Co Ltd and Takeda Chemical Industries Ltd for their involvement in cartels for limited numbers of vitamin products.

Roche has already been fined $500m (£360m) and BASF $225m for similar anticompetitive behaviour in the United States.

Back to Top