AZ refutes preliminary EC findings
AstraZeneca has confirmed that the European Commission has served a 'Statement of Objections' on the company, stating that in the Commission's preliminary view AstraZeneca abused its dominant position with omeprazole ('Losec') in a number of European countries.
AstraZeneca has confirmed that the European Commission has served a 'Statement of Objections' on the company, stating that in the Commission's preliminary view AstraZeneca abused its dominant position with omeprazole ('Losec') in a number of European countries.
AZ says it intends to respond to the statement and the company vigorously refutes any wrongdoing. In particular it will deny that it made misrepresentations before national patent offices or that it misused the rules and procedures applied by national medicines agencies.
A Statement of Objections does not represent the Commission's final decision, and any final adverse decision by the Commission is appealable to the European Courts (Court of First Instance and then the European Court of Justice). The whole process could take several years to reach a conclusion.
A spokesman for the company stated that AstraZeneca has nothing further to add, except that it is confident the allegations made by the Commission should be rejected as groundless.