Treatment for AMD: the Autorité fines 3 laboratories for abusive practices

The Autorité de la concurrence has imposed fines worth a total of €444 million on three pharmaceutical companies, Novartis, Roche and Genentech, for abusive practices designed to sustain the sales of Lucentis for AMD treatment to the detriment of Avastin (a competitive medicinal product that is 30 times cheaper).

The Autorité de la concurrence's Decision 20-D-11 of September 9 2020, which sanctioned Novartis Pharma SAS, Novartis Groupe France SA, Novartis AG, Roche SAS, Genentech, Inc. and Roche Holding AG, was annulled by a decision of the Paris Court of Appeal dated February 16 2023, which ruled that no anti-competitive practice had been established against these companies. This decision may be subject to an appeal to the French Court of Cassation.