EU 罰金s AstraZeneca £40m

By Guy Dresser
Updated: 16:17 BST, 15 June 2005

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PHARMACEUTICALS 巨大（な） AstraZeneca was today 罰金d more than £40m for 封鎖するing 競争相手s from marketing a 麻薬 類似の to its best-selling ulcer 治療 Losec.

The European （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 said it was 徴収するing the 刑罰，罰則 for the company’s 'serious 乱用s' of its 支配的な market position going 支援する seven years.

The （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 has 力／強力にするs to 罰金 any company it finds 有罪の of 妨げるing fair 競争. An enquiry 設立する AstraZeneca had 違反d EU 競争 支配するs by 封鎖するing or 延期するing 競争相手s from producing generic 見解／翻訳／版s of Losec, even though its 特許 had 満了する／死ぬd.

And the 罰金 量s to far いっそう少なく than the 可能性のある 利益 to the company of its ‘乱用s’ of its 支配的な market position, the （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 said.

The EU’s 競争 Commissioner, Neelie Kroes, said that companies had a 権利 to 保護する their 知識人 所有物／資産／財産, but 追加するd; ‘It is not for a 支配的な company but for the 立法議員 to decide which period of 保護 is 適する. 誤って導くing regulators to 伸び（る） longer 保護 行為／法令／行動するs as a disincentive to innovate and is a serious 違反 of EU 競争 支配するs.

‘Health care systems throughout Europe rely on generic 麻薬s to keep costs 負かす／撃墜する. 患者s 利益 from lower prices. By 妨げるing generic 競争, AstraZeneca kept Losec prices artificially high. Moreover, 競争 from generic 製品s after a 特許 has 満了する／死ぬd itself encourages 革新 in 製薬のs.’

知識人 所有物／資産／財産 専門家s あられ／賞賛するd the 判決，裁定 as the first time that EU 競争 法律s have been used to 戦闘 perceived 特許 乱用. While it was still under 特許 保護 during the 1990s, Losec was a best-selling prescription 麻薬, selling more than £3bn a year around the world.