10-Year Hydrocortisone Tablet Overcharge and Pay-For-Delay Deal Lead to £266.4 Million in Fines

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has fined hydrocortisone tablet manufacturers £266.4 million for overcharging the National Health Service (NHS) between 2008 and 2018. Alternative and more moderately priced generic drugs were unavailable due to a pay-for-delay agreement, a breach of anti-competitive legislation.

“During that time, the price of the tablets rose by over 10,000%, from less than GBP1 per 10mg pack for the original branded version to over GBP80. NHS spending on hydrocortisone tablets meanwhile rose from around GBP500,000 a year in 2008 to over GBP80m a year in 2016. Although prices fell gradually after competitors entered the market, Accord-UK continued to charge higher prices than its rivals.”  Read more here.

(Source: Charles Gibbs and Thomas Masterman, JD Supra, 7/21/21)