Fournier Wins Lipanthyl Case

The French pharmaceutical company Fournier has won an action against the Mutualite health fund that bans the citing of its major drug, micronized Lipanthyl (fenofibrate), in a comparative drug guide for doctors, published by the fund and based on government requirements on drug information as set out by the Commission on Transparency.

Jean-Pierre Davant, president of the Mutualite, said it was "astonishing" that justice prevented information for doctors to avoid the waste of social funds.

The case brought by Fournier before a Paris judge referred to declarations on a radio program on radio station France Inter by Mr Davant, when he justified the fund's guide by saying that Fournier's Lipanthyl "cost social security 627 million French francs ($121.9 million) a year," and that Merck Sharp & Dohme's fenofibrate, "which is strictly the same drug" cost 50% less - which is a saving of 320 million francs.