Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is facing a new competition investigation in Turkey over allegations that certain patent and regulatory practices may have restricted competition from generic medicines. Turkey’s Competition Authority has opened an inquiry into Teva and two related entities, examining whether the company used patent procedures and communications with health authorities in ways that could make it more difficult for rival products to enter the market.
- Turkey’s Competition Authority has opened an investigation into Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and two affiliated entities.
- Regulators are examining whether Teva used divisional patent applications in a way that could restrict generic competition.
- The investigation also covers allegations involving potentially misleading information about the safety and effectiveness of competing medicines.
- The case is described by Teva as a legacy antitrust matter involving Copaxone.
- Teva has said it denies wrongdoing and will cooperate with Turkish authorities.
- The investigation does not mean that Teva has been found to have violated competition law.
Turkish Regulator Opens Formal Investigation
The Turkish Competition Board, known as Rekabet Kurumu, said it had completed a preliminary review and decided to proceed with a formal investigation into Teva İlaçları San. ve Tic. AŞ, Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe B.V. and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
The investigation will assess whether the companies violated Article 6 of Turkey’s Competition Law through conduct that could have limited competition from generic medicines.
According to the regulator, the inquiry follows concerns about practices that may have made market entry more difficult for competing pharmaceutical products. The authority said its review will focus on both patent-related activity and representations made to healthcare authorities concerning rival medicines.
Patent Applications Under Review
One of the central issues is Teva’s use of divisional patent applications.
These applications can allow a patent applicant to divide an existing patent application into separate applications covering different aspects of an invention. In the Turkish investigation, regulators will examine applications concerning manufacturing processes and dosage regimens filed after protection for the company’s underlying molecule patent had expired.
The Competition Authority will also examine practices involving the withdrawal of patents connected with those applications.
Regulators are seeking to determine whether the combination of filing and withdrawal practices could have restricted competition from equivalent or generic medicines after the underlying patent protection ended.
Regulators Also Examine Statements About Rival Drugs
The Turkish investigation goes beyond patent strategy.
The Competition Authority said it will examine whether Teva created a potentially misleading impression among healthcare authorities regarding the efficacy and safety of competing products.
The regulator’s preliminary findings describe a broader set of practices that could potentially have made it harder for competitors to enter the market. However, the authority has not concluded that Teva engaged in unlawful conduct. The investigation is intended to determine whether the alleged practices violated competition law.
Teva Links Investigation to Copaxone
Teva told Fierce Pharma that the Turkish case concerns a legacy antitrust matter involving Copaxone, the company’s multiple sclerosis treatment.
A Teva spokesperson said the investigation is similar to a case previously brought by the European Commission involving the same drug. The company has denied wrongdoing in that case and is appealing the European Commission’s decision.
“This remains an investigation at this stage, and we will cooperate with the authorities throughout the process,” the spokesperson said.
European Commission Previously Fined Teva
The Turkish investigation follows a major European antitrust case involving Teva’s Copaxone business.
In 2024, the European Commission fined Teva €462.6 million after concluding that the company had abused its dominant position to delay competition to Copaxone in several European markets. The Commission said Teva had used patent procedures to prolong legal uncertainty surrounding generic competitors and had also conducted what regulators described as a campaign against competing products.
The European case involved markets including Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain.
Teva disputed the European Commission’s findings and has appealed the decision. The company described the legal theories underlying the ruling as unsupported.
Generic Competition at the Center of the Case
The Turkish investigation comes amid continued scrutiny of how pharmaceutical companies use intellectual property protections when branded medicines face competition from lower-cost generic alternatives.
Generic manufacturers can generally enter a market once relevant patent and regulatory protections have expired. Competition authorities can intervene when they believe a dominant company may be using strategies beyond legitimate patent protection to delay or discourage competing products.
The Turkish regulator’s investigation will therefore examine whether Teva’s patent filings and withdrawals had the effect of restricting generic competition following the expiration of the basic molecule patent.
Investigation Does Not Establish a Violation
The Competition Authority has emphasized that opening an investigation does not mean the companies involved have been found to have violated the law.
The Turkish regulator specifically noted that its decision to investigate does not establish that Teva committed an infringement or that the company will face a penalty. Those conclusions would depend on the findings of the formal investigation.
The inquiry will now determine whether the practices under review constitute an infringement of Turkey’s competition rules and whether any further action is warranted.
Teva Continues to Face Regulatory Scrutiny
The Turkish case adds another regulatory challenge for Teva as the company operates across both the generic and innovative pharmaceutical markets.
The company is one of the world’s largest generic drugmakers while also developing and commercializing patented medicines. That dual position can place its patent strategies and interactions with generic competitors under scrutiny in markets where regulators are focused on maintaining access to lower-cost alternatives.
For now, the Turkish proceedings remain at the investigation stage. The Competition Authority’s findings will determine whether Teva’s conduct breached Turkish competition law and whether any enforcement action follows.
Teva is facing a new competition investigation in Turkey as regulators examine whether certain practices may have restricted competition from generic medicines.
Potential Impact on Pharmaceutical Competition
Competition investigations in the pharmaceutical sector can have broader implications for manufacturers, healthcare providers, and patients. Strong competition between originator and generic companies can encourage innovation while helping expand access to lower-cost treatment options.
What Happens Next
The regulatory process will involve gathering evidence and evaluating the companies’ conduct under Turkish competition law. The investigation could eventually conclude without a violation finding, or authorities could determine that further action is appropriate.
Implications for the Industry
The case demonstrates how competition authorities are paying close attention to the interaction between intellectual-property strategies, regulatory communications, and generic market entry. Pharmaceutical companies operating internationally may need to carefully evaluate these areas when protecting products and managing competition.
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