The Royal College of Pharmacy has terminated its sponsorship and exhibition arrangement with Teva UK, the British subsidiary of global pharmaceutical company Teva Pharmaceuticals. The decision affects a £15,000 deal that would have made Teva an exhibitor at four of the college’s events, including its forthcoming annual conference. A Royal College of Pharmacy spokesperson stated that the executive team made the decision after a due diligence review raised concerns about certain Teva Pharmaceuticals activities that did not align with the organization’s values, though specific activities were not detailed.
The move represents the second major UK healthcare institution to sever ties with the Israeli drug manufacturer. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), which represents 500,000 UK nurses, made a similar decision the previous week, dropping Teva as a sponsor of union activities and a headache and migraine event. The Royal College of Pharmacy, which has 34,000 members and serves as the professional body for British pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists, cited its transition to charitable status in April as prompting a comprehensive review of its policies.
Pro-Palestine campaigners, including the group UK Healthcare Petitions to Royal Colleges (UKHPRC), had circulated an open letter signed by individual pharmacists and other health professionals urging the college to apply ethical scrutiny to commercial partnerships with Israeli firms. The letter drew comparisons to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s decision in 2022 to cease investments in Russian companies following the invasion of Ukraine. UKHPRC stated it hoped the decisions reflected the ethical standards the public expects from healthcare professionals.
Teva responded by expressing disappointment and asserting that healthcare should not become “politicised.” The company noted that it does not make donations to political parties, organizations, or military entities and emphasized its commitment to helping patients access medicines. UKHPRC indicated its intention to encourage other royal colleges representing GPs, psychiatrists, and hospital doctors—which have received Teva sponsorship in recent years—to reconsider their commercial relationships with the firm.
Teva Pharmaceuticals has faced significant regulatory actions internationally. In 2024, the European Commission imposed a €462.6m fine for blocking competition in the multiple sclerosis treatment market. The company paid $225m in fines to the US Department of Justice in 2023 for drug price fixing and previously settled charges in 2016 involving alleged bribery of government officials in Russia, Ukraine, and Mexico for $519m.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI