四药企串通抬价被罚3.55亿，个人顶格罚500万

Core Viewpoint - The National Market Supervision Administration has imposed a total fine of 355 million yuan on four pharmaceutical companies for colluding to raise the price of dexamethasone phosphate raw materials, which saw a price increase of up to 282 times [1] Group 1: Companies Involved - Four companies involved in the price-fixing scheme include Tianjin Pharmaceutical Co., Jiangsu Lianhuan Pharmaceutical Co., Xi'an Guokang Ruijin Pharmaceutical Co., and Zhejiang Xianju Pharmaceutical Co. [1] - The organizer of the collusion, identified as Guo, was fined the maximum amount of 5 million yuan, while four responsible individuals from the companies were fined 600,000 yuan each [1] Group 2: Price Increases - Dexamethasone phosphate raw material prices were raised significantly, with Tianjin Pharmaceutical increasing prices from 9,000 yuan/kg to 13,800 yuan/kg, and Xi'an Guokang Ruijin raising prices from 7,900 yuan/kg to between 10,000 and 38,000 yuan/kg [1] - Zhejiang Xianju Pharmaceutical raised prices from 8,200 yuan/kg to 10,000 yuan/kg, while Jiangsu Lianhuan increased prices from 7,800 yuan/kg to 15,000 yuan/kg [1] Group 3: Market Impact - The collusion led to a severe market supply shortage, with the price of dexamethasone phosphate injection skyrocketing from 0.35 yuan per dose to 98.76 yuan per dose, marking a staggering increase of 282 times [1] - As of March 7, 2024, the monopolistic pricing of dexamethasone phosphate raw materials was still being enforced [1] Group 4: Legal Consequences - The total illegal gains from the price-fixing scheme were calculated as follows: Tianjin Pharmaceutical Co. 42,764,400 yuan, Zhejiang Xianju Pharmaceutical Co. 23,746,680 yuan, Xi'an Guokang Ruijin Pharmaceutical Co. 24,763,156 yuan, and Jiangsu Lianhuan Pharmaceutical Co. 17,899,200 yuan [1] - The fines imposed on the four companies amounted to 355 million yuan, which includes the confiscation of illegal gains and an additional penalty of 8% of the previous year's sales [1]