Italy Investigates Biogen for Blocking Cheaper Multiple Sclerosis Drug
Italy’s antitrust watchdog is officially investigating the pharmaceutical giant Biogen.The company is allegedly using a sneaky tactic to block a cheaper competitor from entering the market, protecting its monopoly at the expense of public healthcare budgets.
For 15 years, Biogen dominated a major part of multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment with its expensive hospital drug, Tysabri.
When Biogen’s patents expired, a competitor named Sandoz launched a rival drug called Tyruko. It does the exact same thing but costs at least 20% less.
Biogen’s MS drug has a catch: it can cause a rare but dangerous brain infection. To keep patients safe, doctors must run a specific safety test before and during treatment.
Biogen “happens” to own Stratify, the industry standard test used for this screening.
According to the watchdog, Biogen is weaponizing this test. The agency claims Biogen is refusing to let patients use the test unless they buy Biogen’s expensive drug.
If a hospital wants to save money by switching a patient to the cheaper Sandoz alternative, Biogen effectively cuts off their access to the vital safety test.
MS treatments are incredibly expensive, often costing over $1,000 a pack. By allegedly blocking a cheaper alternative, Biogen isn’t just fighting a rival—it is stopping public health systems from saving millions of dollars that could be used to treat other patients.
Antitrust officials recently raided Biogen’s Italian offices. The investigation will determine if Big Pharma can legally use safety tests to keep cheaper generic drugs off the market.