(Teleborsa) – TheCompetition and Market Guarantor Authority has closed the investigation for compliance by Leadiant Biosciences and the parent company Essetifin to the provision with which he had ascertained their abuse of a dominant position. The Authority communicates this in a note. “The two companies – explained Agcom – had imposed unjustifiably high prices to sell the drug to the National Health System Leadiant Chenodeoxycholic Acidused for the treatment of the rare disease called xanthomatosis cerebrotendinous. It is an enzymatic defect that causes the accumulation, among other things, of cholesterol in many tissues, including tendons and the central nervous system, causing neurological, cognitive and systemic dysfunctions.”
The Authority had found that Leadiant Biosciences and Essetifin, in position dominanttaking advantage of the negotiating weakness of demand, had obtained a price for the orphan drug – equal to 5,000-7,000 euros per pack – too onerous because it was disproportionate to the costs incurred and unfair in light of the nature of the product, the investments in research and development carried out, the risk faced in the registration project, the therapeutic value.
L’investigation now concluded has ascertained that the new price of the drug negotiated by the two pharmaceutical companies with AIFAin force from 15 March 2024, equal to approximately 2,000-4,000 euros per pack, constitutes a significant reduction in the previous price which is also substantially in line with that applied before the abusive conduct.
“In this way – concluded the Authority – the two pharmaceutical companies have complied with what was requested by the Authority with a significant positive impact, in terms of price reductionfor the NHS”.
