EU and the UK
date: 12/07/2019
European Commission approves GlaxoSmithKline's acquisition of Pfizer's Consumer Health Business, subject to conditions
On 10 July, the European Commission approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of Pfizer's Consumer Health Business by GlaxoSmithKline. The decision is conditional upon the global divestment of Pfizer's topical pain management business carried out under the ThermaCare brand. GlaxoSmithKline (“GSK”) and Pfizer's Consumer Health Business are both manufacturers and suppliers of a variety of consumer healthcare pharmaceuticals, which are typically available to patients without a prescription from a doctor and generally referred to as “over-the-counter” (“OTC”) pharmaceutical products.
European Commission approves new geographical indication from the United Kingdom
On 10 July, the Commission approved the addition of ‘Ayrshire New Potatoes'/‘Ayrshire Earlies' in the register of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). The newly protected product is planted, grown and harvested in the county of Ayrshire in the South West of Scotland. Ayrshire has been at the heart of the British potato industry since the cultivation of the crop was first reported in Scotland on a commercial basis in 1793. Due to light sandy soil and early warming by the Gulf Stream, farms in Ayrshire, particularly those along the Ayrshire coas,t have always been able to plant their potato crop a few weeks earlier than in other parts of Scotland. The ‘Ayrshire New Potatoes/Ayrshire Earlies' are particularly good for boiling and salads. The new denomination will be added to the list of 1,450 already protected products.
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