Roche Has No Plans To Withdraw From UK
April 12 2010 - 7:03AM
Dow Jones News
Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) Monday
said it has "absolutely no plans" to withdraw from the U.K.
"Our meeting with the Minister for Health in the U.K. was part
of an ongoing dialogue to address factors which affect our
long-term stability, such as pricing and the slower uptake of
medicines in the U.K," it said in an emailed statement.
Roche added that it will continue to work with the relevant
bodies in the U.K. to address any such issues.
In a separate statement, rival Novartis AG (NVS) also said it
will continue to work closely with U.K. regulators.
U.K. daily The Guardian earlier Monday reported that Roche and
Novartis had threatened to relocate from the U.K. due to a dispute
over drug pricing.
-By Goran Mijuk, Dow Jones Newswires; +41 443 80 47;
goran.mijuk@dowjones.com