Investigation into suspected anti-competitive conduct by Vifor Pharma in relation to intravenous iron treatments
| Date | Action |
| 23 May 2025 | CMA commitments decision published and investigation closed |
| February 2025 (estimate) | Final decision on commitments, subject to responses to the consultation on the commitments proposed by Vifor Pharma |
| 10 December 2024 to 17 January 2025 | Commitments consultation period |
| 10 December 2024 | Consultation opened on commitments proposed by Vifor Pharma |
| January to November 2024 | Initial investigation: including information gathering, analysis and review of information gathered |
| 31 January 2024 | Investigation opened |
23 May 2025: The CMA published a non-confidential version of its decision to accept commitments from Vifor Pharma in relation to intravenous iron treatments.
To address the CMA’s competition concerns, Vifor Pharma has committed to:
10 December 2024: The CMA published a Notice of intention to accept commitments offered by Vifor Pharma and invited representations from interested third parties on the proposed commitments. The commitments offered by Vifor Pharma – which include an ex gratia payment of £23 million to the NHS and a communication campaign – seek to address the CMA’s competition concerns regarding Vifor Pharma making potentially misleading claims about a competitor’s intravenous iron treatment. The CMA will consider any representations made in response to the consultation before making a final decision on whether or not to accept the proposed commitments.
On 31 January 2024, the CMA launched an investigation under Chapter II of the Competition Act 1998 into a suspected breach of competition law by Vifor Pharma, relating to concerns that Vifor Pharma may have misleadingly disparaged a competing iron treatment, Monofer, by making misleading claims about the safety of Monofer and Vifor Pharma’s own product, Ferinject, which were designed to hinder competition from a rival product and promote Ferinject. Monofer and Ferinject are iron treatments used to intravenously treat iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia.
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Juliette Enser (020 3738 6857, [email protected])
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Media enquiries, 020 3738 6460, [email protected]
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