Roche & Novartis Face Additional $1.6B in Fines for Italy Collusion Case

May 29, 2014

The Italian government is seeking $1.6 billion in damages from Novartis and Roche for losses incurred by the national health service from the companies’ collusion to restrict competition in ophthalmic drugs.

In March, Italian antitrust authorities fined Novartis and Roche a total of $250 million for the same accusations -- colluding to prevent the use of Roche’s Avastin cancer drug as a treatment for eye disease, in favor of the more expensive drug, Lucentis.

Novartis, which already appealed the antitrust authority’s fine in early May, issued a statement rejecting the Health Ministry’s assertions.

Read the NY Times release