SA competition watchdog probes Novo Nordisk and Sanofi over insulin

South Africa's Competition Commission is investigating drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Sanofi over possible anti-competitive practices in the human insulin pen market, the authority said on Tuesday, 4 March.

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"We are currently engaging with market participants," a spokesperson for the commission told Reuters, declining to provide details.

The news was reported earlier on Tuesday by Bloomberg.

Novo Nordisk and Sanofi are two of the world's largest makers of insulin.

While Sanofi did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Novo Nordisk told Reuters in a statement it welcomed the opportunity to provide information and would cooperate fully with authorities.

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The company decided not to participate in the 2024 tender for human insulin pens in South Africa and instead tendered for insulin vials, it said.

"We ensured that the public sector had adequate access to insulin through this route," it added.

In November last year, Novo Nordisk told Reuters that it was phasing out production of human insulin pens, as it spends billions to increase manufacturing of its popular obesity and diabetes injections.