Peter Lazenby
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BOSSES at four Big Pharma companies are fighting a legal move to remove them for allegedly rigging drug prices to the NHS.
Their companies were fined for allegedly bleeding the NHS of millions in taxpayers’ cash when they colluded in supplying a drug to treat nausea, migraine and dizziness.
By limiting supplies, prices soared by 700 per cent.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued proceedings in the High Court to disqualify the seven directors, including the chief executive of international healthcare group Alliance Pharma.
The move follows a CMA investigation which began in 2017.
Earlier this year the CMA fined five firms more than £35 million for colluding to restrict supplies of the drug.
The directors at Alliance Pharma, Lexon, and Advanz could face being disqualified from their positions.
Tony O’Sullivan, chair of the Keep Our NHS Public campaign, said: “The NHS is fighting for its life, while Big Pharma fights to retain its sense of entitlement to fix the market and milk hundreds of millions out of NHS funds in payment for cheap drugs marked up to exorbitant prices.
“The parasitic exploitation of public funds takes many forms but this is one of the most blatant examples. ‘Deregulation’ is one of the watchwords of this government, with the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill the latest assault on NHS data.
“These are the routes to encircle the NHS with bloodsucking tentacles which drain resources and impose control and they must be opposed.”
The four firms deny the accusations and have lodged appeals at the Competition Appeal Tribunal which could prevent the disqualification order being heard by the High Court.
