OREANDA-NEWS. August 22, 2013. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) issued a warning to TEVA PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED of Israel to stop actions (omissions) that have signs of violating the antimonopoly law.

The signs of the violation are associated with the company’s refusal to supply an essential innovative medicine “Copaxone-Teva” (the International Non-Proprietary Name - Glatiramer acetate) to “BIOTEK” Interregional Pharmaceutical Production-and Distribution Corporation” CJSC on the eve of the federal auction announced by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

Under a long-term agreement between the companies, TEVA supplies the medicine “in bulk”, and “BIOTEK” is involved in the final state of production, product commercialization, as well as its storage, sale and distribution in the Russian Federation. The refusal by TEVA to supply the medicine has signs of violating Clause 5 Part 1 Article 10 of No.135-FZ Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” and results in terminating BIOTEK’s activities for commercializing the medicine in the Russian Federation.

“Copaxone-Teva” is used in treating multiple sclerosis (a disease classified by law as a rare disease) and has no analogues. That is why the decision of its producer to refuse supplying the medicine makes it impossible for the state to provide medicines to the patients with multiple sclerosis under the “7 Nosologies” federal state programme and threatens people’s health and life”, commented Deputy Head of FAS Andrey Kashevarov.