China's top court applies safe harbor, rejects hub-and-spoke claims in drug dispute

By MLex Staff ( October 29, 2026, 07:53 GMT | Insight) -- China's top court has applied antitrust safe-harbor rules to resale-price restrictions in pharmaceutical distribution agreements, while rejecting allegations that a drugmaker organized a hub-and-spoke cartel among its distributors. The ruling illustrates the judicial application of safe-harbor thresholds issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation last December and effective Feb. 1. The thresholds give concrete conditions for the safe harbor introduced in the 2022 amendments to the Antimonopoly Law.China's top court has applied antitrust safe-harbor rules to resale-price restrictions in pharmaceutical distribution agreements, while rejecting allegations that a drugmaker organized a hub-and-spoke cartel among its distributors....

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