The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 No 7291 p344
20 March 2004

This article
Reprint
Photocopy

News summary

Genzyme OFT fine halved

Genzyme has won a partial victory over the Office of Fair Trading after appealing to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) against a £6.8m fine imposed for breaking UK competition law (PJ, 5 April 2003, p467).

The OFT had ruled that Genzyme’s had breached the Competition Act 1998 because the price it charged the NHS for Cerezyme (imiglucerase) included home delivery and home care services, so ensuring that only the company or its own contractors could provide such services. The CAT upheld OFT rulings that Genzyme must offer Cerezyme to distributors at a negotiated price that allows them an appropriate margin, but it cut the fine imposed to £3m plus interest.

Cerezyme is used to treat Gaucher’s disease, which affects only about 300 people in Britain and 40,000 worldwide.