{"id":102037,"date":"2026-01-14T22:30:50","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T21:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ictrechtswijzer.be\/?page_id=102037"},"modified":"2026-01-14T23:21:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T22:21:07","slug":"competition-in-the-pharmaceutical-sector-in-belgium","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ictrechtswijzer.be\/en\/mededinging-in-de-farmaceutische-sector-in-belgie\/","title":{"rendered":"Competition in the pharmaceutical sector in Belgium"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Belgium is known worldwide as the \u201cPharma Valley\u201d of Europe, a position accompanied by heightened scrutiny by the Belgian Competition Authority (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.belgiancompetition.be\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BCA<\/a>). Since 2015, the BCA has considered the pharmaceutical sector an absolute top priority, focusing on three pillars: tackling cartel agreements, combating abuse of dominance and stricter control of mergers and acquisitions. Below, we analyze what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ictrechtswijzer.be\/en\/competition-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">competition law<\/a> means for players in the healthcare and pharma sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-horizontale-afspraken\">1. Horizontal agreements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The BCA takes strict action against collaborations that restrict competition, even when they appear legitimate at first glance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-category-management-onder-vuur\">Category Management under fire<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the most notable recent cases is the case involving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bma-abc.be\/nl\/beslissingen\/25-rpr-13-aud-sman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cSpace Management\u201d (SMAN)<\/a>. This involved manufacturers of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs working together to organize shelf space in pharmacies. The project created by 3 partners (Johnson &amp; Johnson Consumer, Boehringer Ingelheim and Haleon) officially aimed to promote sales through a logical layout for consumers. However, the BCA ruled that the system was abused for market division:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Visual exclusion:<\/strong> Products from competitors (called \u201crenters\u201d) were pushed to the sides of the shelves or even barred if they would interfere with the visibility of the 3 partners.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Information Exchange:<\/strong> Partners gained detailed insights into the sales and placement of competitors' products.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Enforcement:<\/strong> Pharmacies that did not adhere to the imposed planograms were dropped from the project. This led to a settlement, which is exceptional for \u2018category management\u2019 cases worldwide.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-het-groothandelaarskartel-en-de-transfer-orders\">The wholesaler cartel and \u2018transfer orders\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Higher up the chain, the BCA also intervened. In the case involving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bma-abc.be\/nl\/beslissingen\/22-io-06-aud-farmaceutische-groothandelaars\">pharmaceutical wholesalers<\/a> (Febelco, Pharma Belgium-Belmedis and CERP), the \u201cTransfer Orders System\u201d (TOS) was scrutinized. The TOS allows pharmacists to order directly from manufacturers on favorable terms, with the wholesaler handling only logistics and billing. The BCA found that wholesalers coordinated margins and services within this system to protect their central role in the chain and discourage direct sales by manufacturers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Legal uniqueness:<\/strong> This was the first \u201chybrid\u201d settlement in Belgium. While Febelco (immunity) and PBB settled, CERP contested the case, ultimately resulting in a fine of nearly 780,000 euros for an infringement \u201cby object\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-beroepsorganisaties-als-rem-op-innovatie\">Professional organizations as a brake on innovation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The BCA also targets professional associations that use their deontological powers for commercial purposes. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bma-abc.be\/nl\/beslissingen\/19-io-14-medicare-market-ordre-des-pharmaciens\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Order of Pharmacists was heavily sanctioned for antagonizing MediCare-Market<\/a>, a new retail model. The Order used disciplinary procedures and lawsuits to counter this newcomer, under the guise of protecting public health. However, the BCA ruled that \u201cpublic service\u201d is not a valid excuse for restricting competition. In addition <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bma-abc.be\/nl\/beslissingen\/19-pk-35-aud-multipharma-v-pharma-b-newpharma\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Order was reprimanded<\/a> for prohibiting advertising via Google AdWords and social media for non-drugs (parapharmacy), which proved an unjustified restriction on commercial freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-nieuw-in-2025-richtlijnen-voor-combinatietherapieen\">New in 2025: guidelines for combination therapies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is also positive news: in September 2025, the BCA published <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bma-abc.be\/nl\/over-ons\/actualiteit\/persbericht-nr-36-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">guidelines for pharma companies working together on combination therapies<\/a> (treatments that combine multiple agents). The BCA now provides legal certainty on what data may and may not be shared during reimbursement procedures:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Admitted:<\/strong> Epidemiological data, patient data and therapeutic value.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prohibited:<\/strong> Net prices, margins, cost structures and distribution of therapeutic value among components.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-misbruik-van-machtspositie\">2. Abuse of dominance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Companies with dominant market positions must be especially vigilant. The BCA focuses heavily on strategies that slow down or exclude competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-slechtmaking-novartis-vs-roche\">Disparagment: Novartis vs. Roche<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Disparagment competitors is high on the radar. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bma-abc.be\/nl\/beslissingen\/23-pk-02-test-achats-novartis-et-roche\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Novartis was fined<\/a> 2.78 million euros for misleading doctors and hospitals about the risks of \u2018off-label\u2019 use of Avastin\u00ae (a Roche drug) for eye disease, in favor of its own (more expensive) drug Lucentis\u00ae. The BCA ruled that the warnings, given at a time when scientific studies already demonstrated the safety of Avastin\u00ae, were intended to foreclose the market. Interestingly, the fine was lower than in a similar French case because the BCA took into account the initial period of scientific uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-marktafscherming-biosimilars\">Market foreclosure biosimilars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The battle for biosimilars (cheaper biologics) rages fiercely. In March 2025, the BCA sent a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bma-abc.be\/nl\/over-ons\/actualiteit\/persbericht-nr-11-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">communication of grievances<\/a> to Roche. The suspicion is that Roche was implementing a strategy to delay the entry of biosimilars for its cancer drugs (MabThera\u00ae and Herceptin\u00ae). This is part of a broader policy by the Belgian government to accelerate the move to biosimilars in hospitals through mandatory tenders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-prijszetting-excessief-of-legitiem\">Pricing: excessive or legitimate?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every high price is an infringement. In the Leadiant case, concerning the orphan drug CDCA, the Belgian auditor - unlike colleagues in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain - decided not to prosecute for excessive prices. The reason was specifically Belgian: in our market, hospital pharmacies could more easily rely on compounded drugs as an alternative, thus limiting Leadiant's market power in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Predatory pricing is also not always unlawful. In the case <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rdc-tbh.be\/article\/?docEtiq=rdc_tbh2014_3p199\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Docpharma \/ Eli Lilly<\/a> a price cut of 80% by Eli Lilly, which pushed generic competitor Docpharma out of the market, was allowed by the president of the Brussels commercial court. The judge accepted the defense that Eli Lilly was merely liquidating its stock of an \u201cend-of-life\u201d product in response to new legislation, and did not intend to monopolize the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-parallelhandel-weigering-tot-levering-mag-soms\">Parallel trade: refusal to supply is allowed (sometimes)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A common conflict involves parallel trade. May a manufacturer refuse supplies to a wholesaler who exports everything to more expensive countries? In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc-bma.be\/fr\/decisions\/09-vm-04-alcon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bofar case<\/a> the Competition Council confirmed (following the <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/NL\/TXT\/?uri=CELEX%3A62006CJ0468\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Syfait II ruling<\/a>) that this is allowed under conditions. A dominant firm must honor \u201cordinary\u201d orders for the domestic market, but may refuse orders that are disproportionate and clearly export-oriented. Bofar, which exported exclusively and did not serve the Belgian market, therefore could not force delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-fusiecontrole\">3. Merger Control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rules of the game around merger control have changed. Where previously only turnover thresholds were decisive, the BCA is now looking beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lokale-markten-blijven-cruciaal\">Local markets remain crucial<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Upon Multipharma's acquisition of 92 Popelin pharmacies, the BCA dove deep into local market analysis. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bma-abc.be\/nl\/over-ons\/actualiteit\/persbericht-nr-6-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">merger was only approved<\/a> subject to divestments in specific municipalities (Mechelen and Willebroek) where market share would rise above 50%. In doing so, the BCA took into account the strict establishment laws and moratorium on new pharmacies, making new entry in those neighborhoods virtually impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ziekenhuizen\">Hospitals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A political battle raged around hospital mergers. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ejustice.just.fgov.be\/eli\/wet\/2024\/03\/29\/2024003904\/justel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">legislature<\/a> dramatically raised the turnover thresholds for notification requirements in 2024 (to \u20ac900 million combined turnover), which means that most hospital mergers are now outside the BCA's prior scrutiny. The BCA has publicly deplored this loss of authority and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bma-abc.be\/nl\/over-ons\/actualiteit\/persbericht-nr-44-2023\">warns<\/a> that it will use its \u201cresidual powers\u201d to still intervene through retrospective investigations if there are abuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-de-towercast-doctrine-geen-veilige-havens-meer\">The \u2018towercast\u2019 doctrine: no more safe havens<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The main warning for pharma companies is the application of the European <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/NL\/TXT\/?uri=CELEX:62021CJ0449\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Towercast ruling<\/a>. This allows the BCA to investigate mergers that fall below the turnover thresholds (and are therefore not notifiable) as possible abuses of a dominant position. This is no longer a theory: the BCA already applied this in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bma-abc.be\/nl\/over-ons\/actualiteit\/persbericht-nr-51-2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Proximus\/EDPnet case<\/a> and in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bma-abc.be\/nl\/over-ons\/actualiteit\/persbericht-nr-3-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">food sector<\/a>. For the pharmaceutical industry, this is crucial because of so-called \u201ckiller acquisitions\u201d: buying up small, innovative start-ups to prevent future competition. Even if the acquisition target has low sales, the buyer now risks a retrospective investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-veelgestelde-vragen-faq\">Frequently asked questions (FAQ)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Is it permissible to legally enforce my patents if their validity is challenged by a competitor?<\/strong> <br>Yes. In the case <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bma-abc.be\/nl\/beslissingen\/07-vm-25-aud-merck-generics-belgium-en-uk-vs-msd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Merck Generics \/ MSD<\/a> the competition authority confirmed that merely enforcing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ictrechtswijzer.be\/en\/patent-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">patent<\/a> or Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC), even if the validity is challenged, is not an abuse of dominance. As long as the patent is not revoked, the holder has the right to defend his intellectual property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>I am a wholesaler\/exporter and the manufacturer refuses to supply me. Is this an abuse?<\/strong> <br>It depends on your profile. If you are a wholesaler supplying the local market, a refusal to supply \u201cregular\u201d orders is often problematic. However, if you are a player focused purely on exports (as in the Bofar case), a manufacturer may restrict deliveries to protect its commercial interests from parallel trade, if proportionate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>As a pharmaceutical company, may I exchange information with a competitor for a combination therapy?<\/strong> <br>Yes, but under strict conditions. The 2025 BCA guidelines allow you to share data on epidemiology, patient numbers and therapeutic value. However, sharing information on net prices, margins or cost structures is strictly prohibited. The use of independent third parties or \u201cclean teams\u201d is strongly recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>My acquisition remains below turnover thresholds. Am I safe from a BCA investigation?<\/strong> <br>No, no longer. By applying the Towercast doctrine, the BCA can also investigate non-notifiable mergers if it suspects an abuse of dominance. This is especially true if you are acquiring an innovative competitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusie\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Belgian Competition Authority's message is clear: the pharmaceutical sector remains \u201ctop of mind.\u201d The authority is showing creativity in the use of its tools: from tackling category management and professional rules to deploying the <em>Towercast<\/em>-doctrine for small acquisitions. For market players, this means that compliance must go beyond standard contracts. Every consultation with competitors, every strategy around biosimilars and every distribution model requires a thorough competition law review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ictrechtswijzer.be\/en\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Do you have questions about the compliance of your commercial agreements or are you planning an acquisition in the healthcare sector? Our laattorneys, specialized in competition law and the pharmaceutical sector, are ready to analyze your case. Feel free to contact us for an initial consultation.<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Belgi\u00eb staat wereldwijd bekend als de &#8220;Pharma Valley&#8221; van Europa, een positie die gepaard gaat met verscherpt toezicht door de Belgische Mededingingsautoriteit (BMA). Sinds 2015 beschouwt de BMA de farmaceutische sector als een absolute topprioriteit, waarbij de focus ligt op drie pijlers: het aanpakken van kartelafspraken, het bestrijden van misbruik van machtspositie en een striktere [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":102038,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102037","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mededinging"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mededinging in de farmaceutische sector in Belgi\u00eb - ICT Rechtswijzer Advocaat<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"De BMA viseert de farmasector. 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