The European Commission has accused Alchem International Pvt. Ltd. and its subsidiary of breaching EU antitrust rules by participating in a cartel involving the pharmaceutical ingredient SNBB. The companies are suspected of fixing minimum sales prices, allocating quotas, and exchanging sensitive information with competitors.

The cartel concerns SNBB, a key material for producing abdominal antispasmodic drugs like Buscopan and its generic versions. If found guilty, Alchem's actions would violate EU rules prohibiting anti-competitive practices such as price collusion and market sharing.

In October 2023, the Commission fined several companies for their involvement in the same cartel, with one company benefiting from leniency. Alchem, however, was not part of the settlement decision, leading to the current investigation under the standard cartel procedure.

A Statement of Objections marks a formal step in the Commission's investigation, allowing the parties involved to respond to the objections raised, examine evidence, and request an oral hearing. The process may lead to a decision prohibiting the conduct and imposing fines of up to 10% of a company's annual turnover.