UN Competition Policy Meeting to Discuss Big Pharma 'Tactics'

Potentially anticompetitive practices in the pharmaceutical industry are among topics to be discussed at a global meeting on competition next week in Geneva, Switzerland.     Referring to agreements which occur when a patent holder compensates a competitor to delay or abandon the launch of a generic drug, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) economist Ebru Gokce commented: "We're not questioning the merit of patent protection. We're questioning the anti-competitive nature of practices, such as pay-for-delay agreements, that prolong market exclusivity."   The 15th Intergovernmental Group of Experts Meeting on Competition Law and Policy takes place from October 19 to 21.