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The Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm) has decided to end Teva UK’s sponsorship and exhibition presence at its upcoming annual conference, to be held in London on 6 November 2026.
Teva Pharmaceuticals is a global manufacturer of generics and biosimilars, with headquarters in Israel. Teva UK is the UK arm of the company.
In a statement issued to The Pharmaceutical Journal on 9 October 2026, the College said: “The Royal College of Pharmacy has decided to end Teva UK’s current sponsorship and exhibition presence for our forthcoming annual conference with immediate effect.
“This follows a further due diligence review which has brought to our attention the possibility of certain Teva Pharmaceuticals activities which do not align with our values.”
Teva UK, as well as other pharmaceutical companies, has sponsored College events previously, and these were considered on an event-by-event basis in line with the College’s policies and requirements at the time, RCPharm said.
The sponsorship deal with Teva UK was worth £15,000 for exhibitor presence across four College events.
Its decision comes after the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) ended its commercial partnership with the pharmaceutical company on 2 October 2026 over “a number of Teva Pharmaceuticals’ operations, which have been the subject of legal sanction and public scrutiny”.
The RCN acted after an open letter from Nurses for Palestine and UK Health Petitions to the Royal Colleges, which called for “the RCN to disengage with Teva”, received 773 signatures.
A subsequent letter from the same groups called on RCPharm “to end Teva’s sponsorship and exhibition at its 2026 annual conference, alongside demands to end all ties with Teva UK” and received 1,270 signatures.
RCPharm said that after it became a charity in April 2026, the College reviewed all its policies as part of a “comprehensive due diligence process” to ensure the policies aligned with its values and responsibilities.
Future relationships with Teva UK and other parties will be considered in light of internal policies, which are being updated as part of its new responsibilities as a charity, the College said.
A spokesperson from Teva told The Pharmaceutical Journal: “We are disappointed by the Royal College of Pharmacy’s decision, and firmly believe healthcare is at its best when it remains focused on patients rather than being politicised. While we respectfully disagree with this decision, we will continue to act with integrity and remain focused on what matters most: helping patients access the medicines they need.
“We are humbled by the opportunity to serve more than 150 million patients every day around the world and remain steadfast in our dedication to positively impact those we serve, guided by international laws, local regulations, and our shared values.”
