TOKYO (Reuters) – Three of Japan's leading drugmakers said on Thursday they were considering a response to the European Commission's decision to fine them and other vitamin makers for operating a price fixing cartel.
On Wednesday, the commission ordered eight of the world's top vitamin makers to pay 855 million euros ($750 million) for operating a cartel which it said added to the cost of products containing vitamins and to the coffers of cartel members.
"We have cooperated fully in all ways with the European Commission's investigation," said Japan's leading drugmaker, Takeda Chemical Industries Ltd, whose fines totalled 37.05 million euros.
"From now, we will consider whether or not to accept or appeal the commission's decision."
In separate statements, Japan's fifth-largest drugmaker, Eisai Co Ltd, and sixth-largest Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co Ltd also said they were considering whether to accept or appeal the commission's ruling.
Eisai was fined 13.23 million euros and Daiichi was fined 23.4 million euros.
Besides the three Japanese firms, five other vitamin makers were also fined, including Roche of Switzerland, for what the commission said was the gravest violation of the European Union's antitrust rules.
"This is the most damaging series of cartels the commission has ever investigated due to the sheer range of vitamins covered," EU Competition Commissioner Mario Monti said in announcing the fine on Wednesday.
The conspirators met secretly in a series of cartels that involved vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, D3, C, E, Beta Carotene and vitamin premixes, the commission said.
The vitamins are found in everyday goods like cereals, biscuits, drinks, animal feed, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
The fine came on top of more than $2.1 billion the cartel members have paid in the United States to the federal government, individual states and private plantiffs.
At 0545 GMT, shares in Takeda were up 0.89% at 5,660 yen, while Eisai's were up 0.96% at 3,160 yen and Daiichi up 3.28 percent at 2,680 yen.
They were all outperforming the benchmark Nikkei average, which was down 0.49%.
(1 euro=$0.8770)
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