The Royal College of Nursing, representing more than 500,000 nurses in the United Kingdom, has ended its commercial relationship with Teva UK and removed the company as a sponsor of an upcoming event on migraine and headache services scheduled for 30 October 2026. The nursing union stated that further due diligence revealed multiple Teva Pharmaceuticals operations that have faced legal sanctions and public scrutiny, determining the arrangement was inconsistent with the organization’s values.
Carmel O’Boyle, chair of the RCN’s ruling council, confirmed the decision in correspondence with campaign groups that had pressured the union to sever ties with the pharmaceutical firm. According to O’Boyle, the RCN is committed to entering commercial relationships only with companies that align with nursing profession values. The scheduled nursing leadership summit will proceed as planned despite Teva’s withdrawal as a sponsor.
Teva Pharmaceuticals has faced substantial regulatory actions over the previous decade from both European and American authorities. In 2024, the European Commission imposed a €462.6m penalty on the company for blocking competitors of Copaxone, its multiple sclerosis treatment, across seven European countries for periods ranging from four to nine years. Additionally, Teva agreed in 2023 to pay $225m to the US Department of Justice in relation to drug price-fixing charges, and in 2016 settled for $519m over bribery allegations involving government officials in Russia, Ukraine, and Mexico.
Teva expressed disappointment with the RCN’s decision and characterized healthcare as having become politicized. The company indicated its interest in renewed dialogue with the nursing organization. Campaign groups including Nurses for Palestine and UK Healthcare Petitions to Royal Colleges have hailed the decision and are now directing similar pressure toward the Royal College of Pharmacy to withdraw Teva’s sponsorship from its annual conference next month.
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