The Royal College of Nursing, which represents over 500,000 nurses in the United Kingdom, has severed its relationship with Teva UK, the British subsidiary of pharmaceutical firm Teva Pharmaceuticals. The nursing union also removed the company as a sponsor of a migraine and headache services event scheduled for 30 October 2026 at the RCN’s London headquarters, though the event will proceed as planned.
Carmel O’Boyle, chair of the RCN’s ruling council, confirmed the decision in correspondence to Nurses for Palestine, stating that further due diligence revealed operations at Teva Pharmaceuticals that had been subject to legal sanction and public scrutiny inconsistent with RCN values. The union emphasized the importance of entering commercial relationships exclusively with companies aligned with nursing profession principles.
The decision followed sustained pressure from advocacy groups Nurses for Palestine and UK Healthcare Petitions to Royal Colleges, which had campaigned for the termination of the partnership. Campaign groups characterized the move as significant for grassroots healthcare organizing and the international boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.
Teva responded by expressing disappointment with the RCN’s action and suggesting that healthcare had become politicized. A company spokesperson noted Teva’s status as one of the largest medicine suppliers to the NHS and stated the firm was seeking further dialogue with the organization.
Teva Pharmaceuticals has faced substantial financial penalties over the past decade. In 2024, the European Commission imposed a €462.6m fine for blocking competitor access to Copaxone, a multiple sclerosis treatment, across seven European countries for four to nine years. In 2023, the company agreed to pay $225m to the US Department of Justice as an alternative to prosecution following charges related to price-fixing on three drugs. Additionally, in 2016, Teva settled charges involving bribery of government officials in Russia, Ukraine and Mexico for $519m. Campaign organizations are now urging the Royal College of Pharmacy to similarly discontinue Teva UK’s sponsorship of its annual conference and exhibition stand scheduled for the following month.
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