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Suspected cartel on the pharmaceutical market

On 9 April 2013 the Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (GVH - Hungarian Competition Authority) launched a competition supervision procedure against EUROMEDIC-PHARMA Gyógyszernagykereskedelmi Zrt (Pharmaceutical Wholesaler), HUNGAROPHARMA Gyógyszerkereskedelmi Zrt (Prarmaceutical Trade Services)., TEVA Magyarország Gyógyszerforgalmazó Zrt. (Pharmaceutical Distributor), PharmAudit Kft. and MEDICON PROFESSIONAL Egészségügyi Tanácsadó Zrt (Medical Consultant). The investigation was initiated with an unannounced inspection held by the GVH on the premises of the undertakings under investigation.

According to the available data, the GVH presumes that the practices of the above mentioned undertakings were unlawful as they entered into anti-competitive agreements in respect of public procurement procedures issued by Budapesti Egészségközpont Zrt. on the supply of drugs and intravenous solutions in 2011. The parties' behaviour - such as market sharing and price fixing - is likely to be contrary to the prohibition of collusion between competitors concerning the bidding process.

The GVH suspects that the undertakings under investigation have presumably violated, by these conducts, the provisions of the Hungarian Competition Act with regard to the prohibition of restrictive agreements.

The initiation of the competition supervision proceeding does not mean that the undertakings in question have actually committed the infringement. The proceeding seeks to clarify the facts and to thus prove that the presumed infringement has been committed. According to the Act these proceedings must be closed within 6 months, however, this time limit can be extended two times by a further 6 months, depending on the complexity of the case.

Case number: Vj-28/2013.

Budapest, 8 May 2013

Hungarian Competition Authority

Further information:
Katalin GONDOLOVICS
spokeswomen
Hungarian Competition Authority
Mail: 1054 Budapest, V. ker. Alkotmány u.5.
Postal address: 1245 Budapest, 5. POB 1036
Tel: (+36-1) 472-8902
Email: press@gvh.hu
http://www.gvh.hu