Delhi HC has dismissed Abbott’s appeal against CCI’s inquiry into alleged price cartelization over a key diabetes drug, finding no merit in the petition.

Abbott had challenged CCI’s order of July 2017 directing DG to investigate the matter.

In 2017, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), had requested CCI to analyze alleged anti-competitive agreement between four leading pharmaceutical companies—Novartis India, Abbott, USV Ltd. and Emcure Pharmaceuticals, alleging that they were controlling prices of oral diabetes drugs containing the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient, Vildagliptin.

Additionally, CCI had also received an anonymous e-mail enclosing another e-mail, indicating that there was an understanding to maintain the price of drugs across India.

Abbott had now claimed that the e-mail was fake and that the data provided by NPPA was inaccurate.

For more: http://lobis.nic.in/ddir/dhc/VIB/judgement/15-11-2018/VIB13112018CW121292018.pdf