(Reuters) -Britain's antitrust regulator is investigating whether Vifor Pharma disparaged its rival Pharmacosmos's blockbuster iron-deficiency treatment to promote its own competing drug, Ferinject.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which opened an investigation into the alleged misconduct on Wednesday, said it will probe if the company restricted its competitor by making misleading claims to healthcare professionals about the safety and effectiveness of Monofer, a rival high-dose treatment supplied by Pharmacosmos.
Australia's CSL bought Vifor Pharma in a $11.7 billion deal in 2022. The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Around 4 million people in the UK have iron deficiency anaemia. This is mostly treated via oral supplements, but the country's National Health Service (NHS) relies on intravenous iron treatments to treat those in a critical condition.
The European Commission had announced a similar probe into Vifor Pharma in 2022.