Pfizer, Lilly and Bayer fined for price-fixing in Switzerland

BERN, Switzerland—The Swiss branches of Pfizer Inc., EliLilly & Co. and Bayer AG were fined a total of $5.7 million by competitionregulators on Dec. 1 for alleged price-fixing of drugs for erectiledysfunction. The Swiss Competition Commission contends that the prices forViagra (sildenafil), Cialis (tadalafil) and Levitra (vardenafil) were fixed viapublic price recommendations. The commission didn't say how much each companywas fined, and declined to provide the information. The commission concluded inFebruary, after a lengthy investigation that began in June 2006, that the firmsmade "inadmissible vertical competition agreements" by maintaining arecommended public selling price for the drugs. The three companies rejectedthe allegations.