French court orders Sanofi to pay $177 mn for anti-competitive behaviour

A Paris court on Wednesday ordered Sanofi and its Winthrop unit to pay 150.7 million euros ($177.1 million) in damages to France's national health insurance fund (CNAM) for anti-competitive practices related to its anti-clotting drug Plavix.

 

The ruling by the Paris appeals court stems from a 2013 decision by France's competition authority that fined Sanofi 40.6 million euros for acting against generic competitors of Plavix between 2009 and 2010. 

Sanofi said it is currently analysing the grounds of the ruling and reserves the right to file an appeal before the French Supreme Court. 

The appeals court found that the effects of the anti-competitive practices persisted among healthcare professionals until 2021, despite only lasting five months. 

 

Plavix was France's most reimbursed drug in 2008, costing the healthcare system 625 million euros, the court said.

The appeals court awarded CNAM 126.2 million euros for additional reimbursement costs and pharmacy fees and 24.5 million euros in additional financial damages.