Pharma in 2014: Deals Worth Billions and Fines Worth Millions

It had also sought restraining the approval given by the USFDA to Dr Reddy's Laboratories and Endo Pharmaceuticals from launching generics of Valcyte.

On the positive side, a U.S. jury ruled that AstraZeneca's patent litigation settlement for blockbuster drug Nexium with Ranbaxy was not anti-competitive.

Sun Pharma also faced regulatory heat as FDA put a ban on import of products made at its Karkhadi plant in Gujarat.

Another pharma firm which ran into rough weather was Wockhardt, in whose U.S. facility in Illinois, USFDA found many procedural lapses.

The US health regulator also found nine possible procedural deviations in a manufacturing plant of Dr Reddy's Laboratories during an inspection.

Among others firms, Ipca Laboratories' Ratlam unit was also found to be violating good manufacturing norms by USFDA investigators.

Lupin and Unichem Laboratories were among six global drug makers on which the European regulator imposed a collective fine of 427.7 million euros for striking deals with French firm Servier to prevent entry of cheaper version of blood pressure drug Perindopril in the EU.

When it came to overseas acquisition by domestic firms, Aurobindo Pharma took the lead acquiring assets of nutritional supplement maker Natrol Inc and its other affiliate entities for $132.5 million (over Rs 810 crore).

Cipla wasn't far behind acquiring 60 per cent stake in Sri Lankan firm for $ 14 million (nearly Rs 85 crore) for marketing its products. It also acquired a majority stake in a Yemeni firm for $21 million (over Rs 125 crore).

The Mumbai-based firm also announced to acquire 14.6 per cent stake in U.S-based Chase Pharmaceuticals Corporation Inc.

READ MORE: Deadline To Exchange Pre-2005 Notes Extended and 90 Percent Of Political Funding Comes From Corporates