EU commissioner widens pharma probe

Europe's competition commissioner is casting a wide net in her pharma-market antitrust probe. After questioning some 100 companies--including Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Sanofi-Aventis--investigators are now scrutinizing medical organizations and associations and government agencies.

At issue: Whether brand-name drugmakers are unfairly blocking generics makers from the market--and now, whether those patent fights are getting in the way of R&D. Generics don't get to market as quickly in Europe as in the U.S., and they make up only 42 percent of Euro pharma sales, compared with 63 percent in the United States.

- check out the item at PharmaGossip
- see the International Herald Tribune article

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