A second major UK health body has cut ties with an Israeli drug firm after coming under pressure from pro-Palestine campaigners.
asserted
body → cut → campaigners
The Royal College of Pharmacy has dropped Teva UK, the British arm of the global medicines producer Teva Pharmaceuticals, as a sponsor of and exhibitor at its annual conference next month.
asserted
College → drop → conference
Its decision comes after that of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) last week to cut its longstanding ties with Teva UK.
asserted
decision → come → UK
The RCN, which represents 500,000 UK nurses, dropped Teva as a sponsor of both the union and an event on headache and migraine.
asserted
which → represent → headache
Teva UK was due to be an exhibitor at four of its events as part of a £15,000 deal, the college said.
asserted
college → say → deal
A spokesperson said it had taken its decision after realising that unspecified Teva Pharmaceuticals’ “activities”, uncovered by a “due diligence review”, did not align with its values.
asserted
activities → say → values
“The Royal College of Pharmacy has decided to end Teva UK’s current sponsorship and exhibition presence for our forthcoming annual conference with immediate effect.
asserted
College → decide → effect
“This follows a further due diligence review which has brought to our attention the possibility of certain Teva Pharmaceuticals activities which do not align with our values”, the spokesperson said.
asserted
spokesperson → follow → values
It did not explain which activities it had concerns about but said the move was decided by its executive team after it became a charity in April, which led to it reviewing its policies.
asserted
it → explain → policies
But Teva, which specialises in producing generic rather than developing new drugs, has a poor track record of corporate malfeasance.
asserted
which → specialise → malfeasance
Teva said it was “disappointed” at being dropped and that healthcare should not become “politicised”.
asserted
healthcare → say → ?
The college’s move comes after the circulation of an open letter by campaigners including UK Healthcare Petitions to Royal Colleges (UKHPRC) and signed by individual pharmacists and other health professionals.
asserted
move → come → pharmacists
The letter highlighted that the Royal Pharmaceutical Society – the Royal College of Pharmacy’s predecessor – had responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 by no longer investing any of its money in funds that involved Russian firms.
asserted
that → highlight → firms
It urged the Royal College of Pharmacy to “apply the same ethical scrutiny to its investments and commercial partnerships in relation to Israel”.
asserted
It → urge → Israel
UKHPRC welcomed the RCN and Royal College of Pharmacy’s decisions.
asserted
UKHPRC → welcome → decisions
“We hope this reflects the ethical concerns that the public expects from healthcare professionals”, it said.
asserted
it → hope → professionals
Medical royal colleges are the bodies that represent different types of doctors in the UK professionally, such as GPs and surgeons.
asserted
that → represent → GPs
UKHPRC is now urging other royal colleges which have or have previously had commercial relationships with Teva to shun the company.
asserted
which → urge → company
They include the royal colleges representing GPs, psychiatrists and hospital doctors, which have had sponsorship arrangements with Teva in recent years.
asserted
which → include → years
“These victories should reverberate beyond the royal colleges, into NHS boardrooms and pharmacy purchasing decisions.
asserted
victories → reverberate → boardrooms
They have shown that a sponsor’s cheque need not come with the college’s conscience thrown in.
asserted
conscience → show → ?
Dr Barrak Almoosawi, an NHS doctor and an organiser of the letter, said: “Nursing and pharmacy have acted; those still taking Teva’s money can no longer shelter behind the excuse that nothing can be done.
asserted
nothing → say → excuse
A royal crest carries standing.
asserted
crest → carry → standing
It should never serve as a fig leaf for a failure of moral courage.”
In 2024 the European Commission fined Teva €462.6m for blocking rival firms from competing with Copaxone, its treatment for multiple sclerosis, in seven European countries for between four and nine years.
asserted
Commission → serve → years
In 2023 Teva agreed to pay $225m in fines imposed by the US Department of Justice as an alternative to prosecution after it was charged with fixing the price of three drugs.
asserted
it → agree → drugs
Previously, in 2016, it struck a deal with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the US Department of Justice to pay $519m (£393m) to settle civil and criminal charges involving its bribery of government officials in Russia, Ukraine and Mexico.
asserted
it → strike → Russia
Teva Pharmaceuticals said in a statement: “We are disappointed by the Royal College of Pharmacy’s decision, and firmly believe healthcare is at its best when it remains focused on patients rather than being politicised.
asserted
it → say → patients
While we respectfully disagree with this decision, we will continue to act with integrity and remain focused on what matters most: helping patients access the medicines they need.
asserted
they → disagree → medicines
“We are humbled by the opportunity to serve more than 150m patients every day around the world and remain steadfast in our dedication to positively impact those we serve, guided by international laws, local regulations, and our shared values.
asserted
we → humble → laws
Teva does not make donations to political parties, political organisations, or military entities in any country.”
asserted
Teva → make → country
The Aporia
