Advanz Pharma

[helvella]

Concordia have decided to change their name.

Concordia international corp. announces intention to rebrand as ADVANZ PHARMA following its successful recapitalization

advanzpharma.com/

At least some of their Summaries of Product Characteristics and Patient Information Leaflets have already been released with the Advanz name and logo. (Mind, the one I looked at still says Mercury Pharma Ltd. as marketing authorisation holder.) For example:

medicines.org.uk/emc/produc...

I do not know if they intend to rebrand some or all of their products. However, that process would take a long time to complete so we will have plenty of time to get used to the new name.

For your information, this company's previous names have been:

CONCORDIA INTERNATIONAL RX (UK) LIMITED 17 Jun 2016 - 30 Oct 2018

AMDIPHARM MERCURY COMPANY LIMITED 22 Mar 2013 - 17 Jun 2016

MERCURY PHARMA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LIMITED 20 Mar 2012 - 22 Mar 2013

GOLDSHIELD MANAGEMENT SERVICES LTD 26 Feb 2003 - 20 Mar 2012

[MaisieGray]

Corporate rebranding can cost £millions - Vincent Tan's rebranding of Cardiff City FC is estimated to have cost him £100 million - so it's good to know that NHS monies, and especially that paid for Liothyronine, is being put to good use.

[Hidden in reply to MaisieGray]

And what NHS money can be recovered from Concordia? Diddly squat. They know exactly how to play the game to their advantage.

[m7-cola in reply to MaisieGray]

Yes!!

[shaws]

A bad name dents your Profits and theirs have had such a battering recently I wonder if that's the real reason for the name-change.

It began as Goldshield and as names changed so did the prices/profits.

[TSH110 in reply to shaws]

I wondered if that was behind it. 😬

[helvella in reply to shaws]

The same thought struck me.

At the same time, companies that have been taking over other companies end up with a considerable portfolio of names - company and brand. We quite often seen a process of renaming everything in sight to make a single corporate identity. Usually followed by deciding to add new brands (or resurrect their old ones) to feed certain markets. We often see a low-cost brand launched, and several premium brands. And when they decide it that a particular part of their business is becoming ripe for sell-off, establishing a separate identity for that part of the business is common.

[shaws in reply to helvella]

I suppose some seem to work without any ethics. How many times - like the above - have been bought and sold whilst keep increasing costs.

[Hpbr in reply to shaws]

Just searched Goldshield on this forum. Had an old copy of bnf at home from March 2011.

Liothyronine 20 mcg 28 tab made by Goldshield £26.15

Then I googled Goldshield. First thing popped up was investigation by SFO re fraud in 2009.

And on it goes ......

[shaws in reply to Hpbr]

The rise in cost is never debated for some reason. If you were M&S I'm sure they negotiate with prospective sellers of goods to them. I'm sure they wouldn't accept the very high cost - Primark I'm sure also do the same in order to sell goods more cheaply.

NDT, too, the very original replacement has also been removed, due to False Statements made by the British Thyroid Association!! So many recover on NDT too, and one size doesn't fit all and we should be able to try them if whatever was prescribed doesn't do the trick.

[Hpbr in reply to shaws]

Absolutely. There's something very amiss here. It seems very clear that price is the reason for deprescribing. I don't understand why this is not addressed thoroughly. I have suspicions but why isn't it there more transparency?

[shaws in reply to Hpbr]

I suppose the higher costs enable them to withdraw it, instead of negotiating with the suppliers and stating the cost cannot go over a certain point.

If other countries can sell T3 for a couple of euros, why is the NHS bled dry - not only for T3 but by also other life-saving prescriptions.

[Hpbr in reply to shaws]

Corruption?

Has to be. Why has there not been a plausible reason?

Certainly not in the spirit of the NHS.

Found out I could get 50 20mcg for around £70.00 or thereabouts in the UK with a private prescription from a UK private hospital.

That's of course a private hospital making a profit.

It is a very worrying state of affairs. This cost issue is dragging on and on. I really am at a loss.

[HypoTT in reply to Hpbr]

HI,

where can you buy it at that cost. I have been searching with no luck!

[Hpbr in reply to HypoTT]

That was quoted to me by endocrinologist at a private hospital in Scotland.

However prior to this, I needed a consultation, an agreement that I required t3 and then a private prescription. The private prescription is the key though.

As it happens, I was fortunate enough to have my dose through the NHS. That said I'd been on the medication since 2011 before they tried to switch me to t4 monotherapy, due to cost alone. Epic fail as it made me incredibly ill, worse that I've ever been.

Blooming t3. Wish I didn't need the damn medicine. But to function, I do.

[HypoTT in reply to Hpbr]

I've now been seen by a private endo who has prescribed me T3, as I am having a T4 - T3 conversion problem. Maybe I should think about travelling to Scotland because I had to pay £177 for 28, 20mcg tablets. Complete rip off! especially when I should be getting it from NHS!

[helvella in reply to HypoTT]

You can use a UK prescription to purchase T3 from Europe. Some details on the Thyroid UK website:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

Far less expensive.

[silverfox7]

However way you look at it I doubt the price will change but I'd love to be wrong!

[Kitten44 in reply to silverfox7]

Only to go up!

[DippyDame]

The great king, Filthy- Lucre, rules!

[SilverAvocado]

Thank you so much for keeping us all informed with this quality research and information.

Are there several different bits called Mercury Pharma? It can't just be that one year period that got the name on everything!

[helvella in reply to SilverAvocado]

There is confusion because the company name and the branding do not tie up neatly.

Please forgive if there are minor inaccuracies in what follows:

Goldshield renamed themselves as Mercury Pharma.

Mercury were bought by another company (forgotten the name - a private capital company) who either then or later also owned Amdipharm.

Amdipharm and Mercury were merged but their branding did not change. The overall company was AMCo.

Concordia bought AMCo (Amdipharm Mercury) but, again, did not change the branding of products.

Now they are renaming as Advanz but we do not know about branding.

(Branding as above is company branding - not product branding. As we know, the product brand Tertroxin was removed in order to increase price of Liothyronine in the UK. Both products were sold under the Mercury Pharma company brand.)

[SilverAvocado in reply to helvella]

Wow, thank you for this extremely detailed answer!

If I'm understanding correctly Mercury Pharma marked tablets are the equivalent of Wispa bars and you're taking about the equivalent of Cadbury's changing hands and names.