Italy's health ministry said
Wednesday it is seeking damages of 1.2 billion euros from three
major pharmaceutical firms, including Switzerland's Novartis and
Roche.
The ministry said the request relates to the marketing of
drugs Lucentis and Avastin, used in the treatment of eye
diseases common among the elderly.
It is also seeking 14 million euros in damages from
drug-maker Pfizer in connection with marketing of the drug
Xalatan, which also treats eye ailments.
In March, Italy's antitrust authority said it had fined
Novartis and Roche a total of over 180 million euros for alleged
collusion to manipulate the market in Italy.
At the time, the antitrust body said that the two companies
"made an illegal agreement to hamper the spread of the use of a
very cheap pharmaceutical, (Roche's) Avastin, in the treatment
of the most widespread eye pathology among the elderly and other
serious eye diseases, to favour a much more expensive product,
(Novartis's) Lucentis".
That cost the Italian national health service more than 45
million euros in 2012 alone and the additional costs in the
future could potentially reach 600 million euros a year, the
antitrust authority had said in a statement.
Novartis, which was fined 92 million euros, and Roche,
which was handed a 90.5-million-euro penalty, have both said
those accusations are groundless and that they would appeal to
the administrative courts.
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