Teva in the news

[lemurtail]

This developing news story about Teva might be of interest to the group. timesofisrael.com/us-states...

[helvella Administrator]

It certainly has potential relevance:

US states sue Teva for price-fixing in ‘multi-billion dollar fraud’

Israeli drug manufacturer named as ‘consistent participant’ in conspiracy to raise prices, sometimes by more than 1000%; company denies wrongdoing, vows to defend itself

[shaws Administrator in reply to helvella]

This sound familiar in the UK!

More action needs to be taken against this kind of behaviour which causes immense worry/symptoms for patients whose prescriptions are withdrawn with their symptoms recurring once again.

Why should patients and the NHS be held to ransom by those whose interest is in profits alone?

[lemurtail in reply to helvella]

It piqued my interest as I am one of a number of people who have had problems with Teva levothyroxine. Even my husband found that his gout symptoms returned if he took Teva allopurinol. We became very suspicious of the company’s quality control but were able to manage our respective conditions simply by asking the pharmacist for “anything but Teva”.

In recent years we find we are having to travel much further afield as Teva seems to be the only immediately available brand on the pharmacists’ shelves. Also pill brands with which I had no problems, suddenly started to produce a variety of new side effects.

When I investigated online I learned about companies regularly changing their formulations. None of those changes are apparent on the pill packaging or in the BNF book to which pharmacists refer.

Also, the drug companies themselves are being swallowed up by rival companies and the surviving brand name may be bad brand A’s pills, being sold under brand B’s name, Brand B having dropped it’s own reliable formulation.

Pharmaceutical companies’ global financial and business practices are making it increasingly impossible for people with long-term medical conditions to manage their symptoms with any degree of reliability or consistency. Periodically an entire brand suddenly becomes hit by shortages which are more the result of cartel decisions and manipulation of the market to increase profits. The same phenomenon affects NDT (natural dessicated thyroid) formulations as well, as people across the world find to their cost.

More attention is paid to profit margins and shareholders’ health than the health of the unfortunate consumer. I fear the NHS and patients are literally being used as cash cows to swell the coffers of the pharmaceutical companies.

[MaisieGray in reply to lemurtail]

My other non-thyroid meds can be variously dispensed as Teva from time to time, and I have no problem/notice no difference when taking them. For those that find Teva doesn't suit them, I don't think the issue is quality control otherwise surely those that happily take Teva would also be affected over the time of taking them.

Pharmaceutical companies are no different from manufacturers of any other product, as commercial entities they exist to make a profit, they don't have a charitable intent or obligation; and like any other product all we can ask is that their products are fit for purpose. The NHS/its patients are as much as, or no more than "cash cows" than are any buyers or consumers of any product.

[Hennerton in reply to MaisieGray]

I believe Teva had inflated prices by vast amounts, just like Concordia with T3, whilst also running the cartel so that all other pharmaceutical companies used the same price structure. What is honest about that?

Since US lawyers are tougher than anything our NHS could offer, I am sincerely hoping they will tear them to shreds. Prison sentences too. Apparently the lawyers have a wealth of written evidence against Teva. I cannot wait for more on this, because it will ultimately reflect on what eventually happens to Concordia. Does anyone know how that stands at the moment with the Competition and Markets Authority. It all sounded a bit feeble, the last I heard

[MaisieGray in reply to Hennerton]

My post was solely in response to two general points made by the previous poster, regarding quality control, and profit as a commercial driver. I made NO reference to Teva in the latter regard, nor to the article, or to the allegations being made. Nor did I make reference specifically, to that company's honesty or operating practices, be they good bad or indifferent, so can't see the relevance of asking me "what is honest about that" in that accusatory way. As for wishing ill on those concerned, I prefer to work on the principles of innocent until proved guilty, not least because at this point, I know nothing beyond the allegations as presented by the article.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Hennerton]

I think you mean Advanz. (Concordia International renamed themselves.)

[Hennerton in reply to helvella]

Yes, but posters remember that they were Concordia at the time this all came to light in, I think, 2017. Very clever to keep name changing. People naturally forget who is who...

[Hennerton in reply to helvella]

Actually, I think they were Amdipharm when it first hit the news via Billy Kenber in the Times. I remember writing to them about the short shelf life of their T3, which in those days was about three months. I do not think they ever replied.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Hennerton]

I think Mercury merged with Amdipharm and became AMCO which were (at least some of the time) owned by another company.