Mercury Pharma Entered Administration March 2022 - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

137,799 members • 161,619 posts

Mercury Pharma Entered Administration March 2022

Does anyone know if this means they will keep supplying medication? My understanding of administration is to try and save the company as a going concern so it can continue once it has resolved its cash flow problems. Would the government step in to assist do you think? I feel like we need to start a petition to save the company as it is almost a critical supplier of medication and should be protected.

Written by

Emj001

To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .

The ability to reply to this post has been turned off.

41 Replies

•

RedAppleAdministrator2 years ago

Emj001, I don't think you'll get much support to 'save the company', as these were the people that hiked the price to our NHS of T3 (liothyronine). theguardian.com/business/20...

helvella

tattybogle2 years ago

this ? find-and-update.company-inf...

Emj001 in reply to tattybogle2 years ago

Yes

RedAppleAdministrator in reply to tattybogle2 years ago

and this find-and-update.company-inf...

helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK2 years ago

Many years ago, Goldshield became Mercury Pharma.

Mercury Pharma was merged with Amdipharm to create AMCO.

AMCO became part of Concordia.

Concordia renamed as Advanz Pharma.

Advanz Pharma was acquired by Nordic Capital in Sweden,

Advanz Pharma is registered in Jersey

They appear still to be active:

advanzpharma.com/about

(Much detail has been left out to keep it as simple as I can.)

I am wondering if administration for Mercury Pharma isn’t quite what it looks like. That is, could it be part of a process of minimising historic liabilities and tidying up?

Imagine, if Mercury Pharma is liable for a large payment due to the CMA investigation. Wind up the company and the fine will at most be the remaining assets.

There’s £135 million in fines in just these two stories:

chemistanddruggist.co.uk/CD...

But on that same site, nothing about Mercury disappearing.

This isn’t going to remove concerns over supplies of the medicines that were from Mercury. Which could be a transient issue as things are moved round. (Mercury Pharma used to get some of their manufacturing done by Custom Pharma in Brighton – and they appear still active.) Or it could represent a complete shutdown of UK Mercury-related companies.

It is interesting that Accord have just started producing liothyronine tablets.

RedApple tattybogle

RedAppleAdministrator in reply to helvella2 years ago

'It is interesting that Accord have just started producing liothyronine tablets.'

Good point and might be a clue... or mere coincidence!

helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to RedApple2 years ago

If Mercury are truly bust, it is possible that the MHRA/DHSC actually asked them to commence making them.

Back when "old" Teva was withdrawn from the market (2012?), MHRA were heavily involved in trying to avoid shortages.

helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to helvella2 years ago

Concordia Investment Holdings (UK) Ltd. have also gone.

find-and-update.company-inf...

tattybogle in reply to helvella2 years ago

"Quick guy's ... the bailiffs are coming .. hide the companies under the carpet and bravely run away. "

just call me cynical ...

tattybogle in reply to helvella2 years ago

They have certainly been busy juggling 'something or other' recently .... like you, i suspect the waters are a bit murky .....

CEO (Graham Duncan) resigned 12th Jan 2022

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (Adeel Ahmad) resigned 31st Jan 2022 , (replaced by Andreas Stickler)

SECRETARY (Robert Sully) resigned 16th March 2022 (replaced by TMF Corporate Administration Services .)

helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to tattybogle2 years ago

Murkier and murkier:

Vikram Laxman KAMATH

find-and-update.company-inf...

I think it needs a forensic examination to make sense.

But my opinion is still that the UK companies are being wound up, one way or another. Companies in Jersey, Luxemburg, etc. are still going (it seems).

Impact on our medicines supply? Who knows - but there have been a few reports of shortages of Mercury products as well as what I pointed out re Accord liothyronine.

tattybogle in reply to helvella2 years ago

Mmm ... ok "hide the companies under the carpet, and hide the money in Jersey "

helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to tattybogle2 years ago

I have now sent an email to the journalist who wrote the Guardian story last year.

I specifically linked to this thread so, if anyone has any more information, please add it in!

SlowDragon

SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to helvella2 years ago

Email Billy Kenber at The Times too?

He broke the story originally

helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to SlowDragon2 years ago

Done that too!

Emj001 in reply to helvella2 years ago

I did this yesterday. Sent it to all the papers and BBC hoping it will get picked up. The more that do it the more likely they will see it as newsworthy too!

RedAppleAdministrator in reply to Emj0012 years ago

Emj001, How did you come across this information in the first instance?

Emj001 in reply to RedApple2 years ago

I searched the company because I wanted to ensure it was still running given the global supply issues. I was actually trying to calm my own anxiety so it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to uncover!

SlowDragonAdministrator2 years ago

Perhaps a ploy to avoid paying the £100m fine?

theguardian.com/business/20...

jgelliss in reply to SlowDragon2 years ago

I'm trying to follow this . And can't believe this can happen. How is this allowed to happen???? Heaven help all of us that depend on thyroid meds anywhere in this Universe.

tattybogle in reply to jgelliss2 years ago

It's the pharmaceutical equivalent of 6 noisy kids coming in the corner shop all drinking cans of pop ...... . one buys something for 20p with a fiver, then before you give him the change, he asks if you can change a tenner ..... then when you do , he says ... " but i gave you a £20 "..... and then you watch all his mates go out again carrying unopened tins of pop..... and then when it all goes quiet you think ..." urm ... what just happened?"

jgelliss in reply to tattybogle2 years ago

I call this Sinful. We as thyroid patients are on the loosing end. Is this a wonder???? The noisy kids ought to be disciplined and held accountable.

CharlieH2 years ago

Big pharma eh? One of the most unethical industries out there. Sadly this really does not surprise me one little bit. It’s not just thyroid patients that are affected by this, it’s every single tax payer and patient using the NHS out there. 😡

helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK2 years ago

I have just emailed the MHRA.

patient.information@mhra.gov.uk

Good morning,

I see that MERCURY PHARMA GROUP LIMITED and MERCURY PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED have both gone into administration.

However, the Patient Information Leaflets (obtained by searching products.mhra.gov.uk/search/ this morning) continue to identify these two companies. I have included details below.

I appreciate that two PILs identify other companies due to being EU imports. They have been included for completeness.

Obviously, with the companies being in this state, patients who rely on these products are concerned about several issues.

• Continuity of supply.

• Availability during any changes of ownership.

• Consistency of product – especially if manufacture moves from Custom Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

• Responsibility for the products in case any liability arises – both before administration and after.

• Possible changes to branding, distribution, etc. which might affect the writing of prescriptions and the pharmacies which deal with these products.

• Possible loss of the Eltroxin brand in the UK and its possible adoption by Aspen who use the brand in much of the rest of the world.

• How to contact the company, or whoever is now responsible, in the event of any need. Even Google recognises that the company is permanently closed and the website(s) have disappeared or are locked.

It is most unsatisfactory that a major change like this has not been reflected in the packaging and documentation of the pharmaceutical products.

Regards

MERCURY PHARMA GROUP LIMITED

Company number 02330913

28 Mar 2022 Appointment of Tmf Corporate Administration Services Limited as a secretary on 16 March 2022

MERCURY PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED

Company number 02619880

28 Mar 2022 Appointment of Tmf Corporate Administration Services Limited as a secretary on 16 March 2022

Eltroxin 100

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

Marketing Authorisation Holder

Mercury Pharma Group Ltd.,

Capital House, 85 King William Street, London, EC4N 7BL, UK.

Manufacturer

Custom Pharmaceuticals Ltd.,

Tecore House, Conway Street, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3LW, UK.

This leaflet was last revised in September 2021.

LF-123099-01

Levothyroxine & Eltroxin 25 mcg

Procured from within the EU and repackaged by:

Doncaster Pharmaceuticals Group Ltd., Kirk Sandall,

Doncaster, DN3 1QR.

Product Licence holder:

Landmark Pharma Ltd., 7 Regents Drive, Prudhoe,

Northumberland, NE42 6PX.

PL No: 21828/0480

Leaflet issue and revision date: 02.03.21

Eltroxin® is a registered trademark of

Mercury Pharma Group Ltd.

Levothyroxine & Eltroxin 50 mcg

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

Marketing Authorisation Holder

Mercury Pharma Group Ltd., Capital House, 85 King William

Street, London, EC4N 7BL, UK

Manufacturer:

Custom Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Tecore House, Conway Street,

Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3LW, UK

This leaflet was last revised in September 2021.

Eltroxin is a registered trademark of Mercury Pharma Group Limited.

LF-123098-01

Levothyroxine 50 mcg

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

Marketing Authorisation Holder

Mercury Pharma Group Ltd.,

Capital House, 85 King William Street, London, EC4N 7BL, UK.

Manufacturer

Custom Pharmaceuticals Ltd.,

Tecore House, Conway Street, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3LW, UK.

This leaflet was last revised in September 2021.

LF-123099-01

Levothyroxine 25 mcg

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

Marketing Authorisation Holder:

Mercury Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Capital House, 85 King William Street,

London, EC4N 7BL, UK

Manufacturer:

Custom Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Tecore House, Conway Street, Hove, East

Sussex, BN3 3LW, UK

This leaflet was last revised in September 2021.

LF-122256-01

Eltroxin® 50 and 100

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

Marketing Authorisation Holder

Mercury Pharma Group Ltd., Capital House, 85 King William

Street, London, EC4N 7BL, UK

Manufacturer:

Custom Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Tecore House, Conway Street,

Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3LW, UK

This leaflet was last revised in September 2021.

Eltroxin is a registered trademark of Mercury Pharma Group Limited.

LF-123098-01

Eltroxin® 25 micrograms Tablets

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

Marketing Authorisation Holder:

Mercury Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Capital House, 85 King William Street,

London, EC4N 7BL, UK

Manufacturer:

Custom Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Tecore House, Conway Street, Hove, East

Sussex, BN3 3LW, UK

This leaflet was last revised in September 2021.

Eltroxin is a registered trademark of Mercury Pharma Group Limited.

LF-122255-01

Eltroxin 25

Manufacturer and Licence Holder

This medicine is manufactured by Custom Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Tecore

House, Conway Street, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3LW, UK and is procured

from within the EU and repackaged by the Product Licence Holder: Lexon

(UK) Limited, Unit 18, Oxleasow Road, East Moons Moat, Redditch,

Worcestershire, B98 0RE.

If you have any questions or are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or

pharmacist. They will have additional information about this medicine and

will be able to advise you.

PL 15184/1336 Eltroxin 25 micrograms tablets

Eltroxin is a registered trademark of Mercury Pharma Group Limited.

Revision date: 26/11/2021

Liothyronine Sodium 20 micrograms Tablets

Marketing Authorisation Holder:

Mercury Pharma Group Ltd.,

Capital House, 85 King William Street,

London EC4N 7BL, UK

Manufacturer:

Custom Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Conway

Street, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3LW

This leaflet was last revised in

October 2021.

LL-122945-01

Tertroxin Tablets 20mcg

Marketing Authorisation Holder: Mercury Pharma Group Ltd, Capital House, 85 King William Street,

London EC4N 7BL, UK.

Manufacturer: Custom Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Conway Street, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3LW

This leaflet was last revised in October 2021.

RedApple tattybogle SlowDragon jgelliss CharlieH

RedAppleAdministrator in reply to helvella2 years ago

Brilliant!

helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to helvella2 years ago

Just to add:

Don't feel inhibited from contacting the MHRA (or anyone else), just because I have sent one email.

Copy anything you like, chop it up as you wish, or write entirely yourself.

helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to helvella2 years ago

Have also tried to contact the administrators - but have no idea if I will even get an acknowledgment.

HowNowWhatNow in reply to helvella2 years ago

Very complete. Thank you. Pre-Brexit, would you have written to the EU regulators of pharma to notify them too? And are our own med regulations now completely different?

helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to HowNowWhatNow2 years ago

No - I would have gone through the MHRA which was effectively the UK's seat within the EMA.

HowNowWhatNow in reply to helvella2 years ago

Good to know, thanks. Are the MHRA’spositions diverging from the EMA’s now?

Do we think Mercury pharma players will now (corporate changes having been executed) continue to produce Levothyroxine but under a new brand name?

helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to HowNowWhatNow2 years ago

I am not at all sure how far they can diverge.

In Northern Ireland, EU medicines may be sold under EU (EMA) authorisation.

And the MHRA have created new prefixes for Product Licences (Marketing Authorisations) - PL, PLGB and PLNI.

Regarding supply of Mercury Pharma products, I really do not know. However, it would appear entirely possible for the products to remain available while the company re-organises itself.

There could well be a bit of interruption as they change the packaging and documentation (PIL and SPC) - even if it is initially sticking a self-adhesive label on the packages to the new company names/addresses and possibly PL numbers! That could be why we have heard of a few issues with their products.

Or we could be in the awful situation of losing a supplier. Don't like the company, but dislike not being able to get necessary medicines even more.

Marketing Authorisation Types

From 1 January 2021, the following Market Authorisation types will be possible in the United Kingdom (UK):

(Guidance relating to application for a licence to market a medicine in the UK)

PL – authorised for use in United Kingdom

as a purely national UK wide MA

as part of an MR/DC procedure involving Northern Ireland as CMS, but a UK wide MA

PLGB – authorised for use in Great Britain only (England, Scotland and Wales)

as a purely Great Britain national

following conversion of a centrally authorised product (CAP)

under the unfettered access route (MAH needs to be established in Northern Ireland and any product must access Great Britain, via Northern Ireland as a qualifying Northern Ireland good).

PLNI - authorised for use in Northern Ireland only

as a purely Northern Ireland national

as part of an MR/DC procedure including Northern Ireland only

gov.uk/guidance/medicines-a...

HowNowWhatNow in reply to helvella2 years ago

Should one of us contact them and find out? Levo supply is really important info to hundreds and thousands (or is it millions?) of people in the U.K.. It seems way too important to be left up to a few tax haven huggers!

helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to HowNowWhatNow2 years ago

I think it would be great if they got 10,000 letters/emails!

Not sure who to write to! The companies in administration? The administrators? The Advanz Pharma companies (there are several)? The MHRA? Our MPs? The DHSC?

Or all of them!

RedAppleAdministrator in reply to helvella2 years ago

National newspapers too perhaps?

helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to RedApple2 years ago

Anyone who just might listen. Agreed - TV, radio, web and paper publishers.

We really need to know if it will affect supplies/availability of medicines. If so, we have a basis to shout. Otherwise the first question is likely always to be whether it is really going to impact patients.

RedAppleAdministrator in reply to helvella2 years ago

What many will fail to understand is the fact that lots of patients cannot just replace one brand of levo with another. Which is what will be assumed unless strongly emphasised. And of course the need for extra blood testing when changing brands etc. which doesn't help our apparently already stretched GP/NHS resources.

Emj001 in reply to helvella2 years ago

Great letter. Thanks

SarahJane14712 years ago

I’ve just checked with my local pharmacy who always source MP. They are going to try and order some today and let me know what happens 🤷‍♀️What with this and the HRT issues this is becoming a nightmare 🤦‍♀️