Swiss pharma Novartis cleared of patent abuse allegations

A two-year investigation of alleged patent abuses by Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis has been dropped by the Competition Commission (ComCo) without charges. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The investigations had shown that the Basel-based pharmaceutical company had acted in accordance with antitrust law, the authority announced on Thursday. ComCo initiated the investigation in September 2022 and also carried out a search at the Novartis headquarters in Basel at the time. The pharmaceutical company had been accused of possibly using a patent for a preparation for the treatment of skin diseases in an unlawful manner to protect itself from competitors. As part of the investigation, the Competition Commission cooperated with the European Commission. The investigation has now revealed that Novartis' conduct was common practice in the area of patent law and also complied with antitrust law, according to the press release. As the indications of abuse ...