French drugmaker Servier lost its appeal against a European Union fine for delaying the sale of generic versions of its blood pressure medicine, perindopril. The European Commission fined Servier €331 million ($354 million) in 2014 for “pay-for-delay” deals with rivals Teva, Unichem, Niche, Matrix (now Mylan), Krka, and Lupin, which aimed to postpone the launch of cheaper generics between 2005 and 2007.
A lower court had reduced Servier’s fine to €228 million in 2018, but Europe’s top court upheld the Commission’s decision, confirming the fines for all involved companies. The Court of Justice of the European Union stated that these agreements restricted competition and upheld the penalties imposed.
