New Delhi, July 22: The English Crown Court has given a clean chit to Ranbaxy Laboratories in a case relating to the allegation of price rigging in drug supplies to the UK’s National Health Services (NHS) between 1996 and 2000.

Ranbaxy said the UK Serious Fraud Office’s (SFO) prosecution of the company’s UK subsidiary, Ranbaxy (UK) Limited, has been quashed by the crown court.

“The court also declined an application by the SFO for permission to appeal to the English Court of Appeal, although the SFO retains the right to appeal to the Court of Appeal directly,” said Ranbaxy in a statement issued today.

SFO had initiated prosecution against Ranbaxy in April 2006 for alleged price rigging of penicillin-based antibiotics, including amoxicillin, ampicillin and flucloxacillin, that were supplied to the NHS between 1996 and 2000.

The company said, “Ranbaxy is a responsible company committed to providing high quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its customers and patients.”

Ranbaxy UK and some other companies were accused of price fixing to defraud the UK health service.

Three other companies which were also cleared of the charge were Goldshield Group, Kent Pharmaceuticals and Norton Healthcare.