UK Court of Appeal upholds CMA ruling on excessive hydrocortisone pricing
Published · Updated
What happened
On 28 July 2026, the Court of Appeal upheld the CMA's decision that Auden Mckenzie and Actavis UK breached competition law by charging excessive and unfair prices for hydrocortisone tablets, a medicine widely used to treat adrenal insufficiency.
Why it matters
The ruling reinforces a key competition-law precedent on excessive pricing in pharmaceuticals, giving regulators and purchasers a stronger basis to challenge outsized post-decontrol price increases. It increases litigation and compliance risk for companies in medicines and potentially other regulated sectors where dominance and public-purchaser exposure are central.
The UK Court of Appeal has upheld the Competition and Markets Authority's finding that Auden Mckenzie and Actavis UK charged excessive and unfair prices for hydrocortisone tablets. The judgment strengthens the CMA's legal footing in pharmaceutical pricing enforcement and raises the compliance stakes for drugmakers operating in the UK. It also matters for NHS procurement strategy, as the ruling may support tougher scrutiny of legacy generic pricing practices and follow-on redress actions.
Watch for
Competition and Markets Authority publication of enforcement next steps or penalty/recovery guidance by 2026-07-31 Department of Health and Social Care or NHS England acknowledgement of procurement or recovery implications for generic medicines by 2026-07-31 Advanz Pharma, Auden Mckenzie or Actavis UK court filing or company statement indicating appeal options, compliance steps, or provisioning by 2026-08-01
Sources
- UK court backs CMA over excessive hydrocortisone pricing · reuters.com
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