Second UK health body drops Israeli drug firm after activist pressure

Decision by Royal College of Pharmacy to end sponsorship comes after concerns over Teva Pharmaceuticals’ ‘activities’

A second major UK health body has cut ties with an Israeli drug firm after coming under pressure from pro-Palestine campaigners.

Its decision comes after that of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) last week to cut its longstanding ties with Teva 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.

The Royal College of Pharmacy is the professional body for Britain’s 34,000 pharmacists. Teva UK was due to be an exhibitor at four of its events as part of a £15,000 deal, the college said.

“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.

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. But Teva, which specialises in producing generic rather than developing new drugs, has a poor track record of corporate malfeasance.

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.

UKHPRC welcomed the RCN and Royal College of Pharmacy’s decisions. “We hope this reflects the ethical concerns that the public expects from healthcare professionals”, it said.

“These victories should reverberate beyond the royal colleges, into NHS boardrooms and pharmacy purchasing decisions. They have shown that a sponsor’s cheque need not come with the college’s conscience thrown in.

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.

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.

“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. Teva does not make donations to political parties, political organisations, or military entities in any country.”