COMCO fines a cartel relating to an active pharmaceutical ingredient Donnerstag, 10. April 2025 - 07:31
Bern, 10.04.2025 - The Competition Commission (COMCO) puts an end, through settlements, to an illegal cartel on the sale of an active ingredient.
The COMCO investigation revealed that between 2005 and 2019, the firms Boehringer Ingelheim, Alkaloids of Australia, Alkaloids Corporation, Alchem, C2 PHARMA, Linnea and Transo-Pharm had agreed to fix the minimum sale price of the active ingredient butylscopolamine bromide (SNBB) and to allocate quotas. They also exchanged commercially sensitive information.
Based on the settlements, the total fine amounts to approximately CHF 600,000. As part of their participation in the leniency programme, C2 PHARMA received full immunity for revealing the cartel, while Transo-Pharm and Linnea received partial immunity from their fines.
For the first time, the COMCO has fined a cartel in the pharmaceutical sector concerning an active ingredient. SNBB is an important ingredient to produce antispasmodic drugs for stomach pains.
The COMCO has coordinated certain investigative activities with the European and Australian competition authorities. The decision of the COMCO may be appealed before the Federal Administrative Court.
Address for enquiries
Danièle Wüthrich-Meyer
Vice President
079 407 78 83
Patrik Ducrey
Director
058 464 96 78
079 345 01 44
patrik.ducrey@comco.admin.ch
Olivier Schaller
Vice Director
058 462 21 23
olivier.schaller@comco.admin.ch
Publisher
Competition Commission
http://www.weko.admin.ch/