South Korea’s anti-trust regulator has fined AstraZeneca and a generic drugmaker a total of $1.8 million for striking a deal that thwarted rivals from marketing a cancer treatment, the latest instance in which a global pharmaceutical company has been cited for anticompetitive behavior.
In this case, the local company, Alvogen, reportedly agreed to suspend plans to release a version of an AstraZeneca medication called Zoladex, which is used to combat prostate and breast cancer. In return, Alvogen gained exclusive rights to market generic versions of three other medicines made by AstraZeneca.
“We have detected and regulated collusion, in which the parties agreed to ban the production and release of a generic under development,” the Korea Fair Trade Commission said in a statement that was released to South Korean media.
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