The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will probe manufacturer Theramex’s purchase of “certain rights” to Femoston and Duphaston, two of Viatris’s hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs, it announced today (February 6).

The competition watchdog said that has today launched a merger inquiry to investigate the purchase to determine whether it would lead to a “substantial lessening of competition” in the UK.

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In October, Theramex announced that it had reached an agreement with Viatris to buy the European rights to the two HRT treatments. 

At the time, Theramex said that Viatris would retain the rights for Duphaston (dydrogesterone) and Femoston (estradiol/dydrogesterone) in Japan and Australia.

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Then in December, Theramex announced that it had completed the purchase of the European rights to the two drugs, excluding the UK.

It said that its acquisition of Viatris’s UK rights to the products was “subject to regulatory approval”.

The CMA has invited comments on the purchase with a deadline of February 19.

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The deadline for the authority’s phrase one merger inquiry decision is April 4. 

C+D approached Theramex and Viatris for comment.

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