UK Nurses Union Cuts Ties With Teva Amid BDS Pressure

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the largest nurses' union in the UK, has decided to sever its commercial ties with Teva UK, the British arm of the Israeli pharmaceutical company. The decision, reported by The Guardian, came under pressure from two pro-Palestinian organizations. The RCN, representing over 500,000 nursing staff, announced the move in a letter from its Council Chair, Carmel O'Boyle, to Nurses for Palestine. Teva UK will no longer sponsor the RCNi's nursing leadership conference on migraine and headache services, scheduled for October 30, 2026, though the conference will proceed as planned at the RCN's London headquarters.

O'Boyle cited Teva's legal entanglements as the reason, stating that further investigation revealed some of Teva's activities, which have incurred legal sanctions and public criticism, are not in line with the RCN's values. She emphasized the importance of the union only engaging in commercial partnerships with companies that align with the values of the nursing profession.

The pro-Palestinian groups, Nurses for Palestine and UK Health Professionals for Palestine (UKHPRC), which spearheaded the pressure campaign, celebrated the decision as a significant breakthrough for grassroots organizing in healthcare and the international BDS movement. They stated that pharmaceutical companies linked to state mechanisms accused of severe international law violations, including crimes against humanity, apartheid, and genocide, should not be sponsored by health organizations. These activists have now set their sights on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, urging it to remove Teva UK as a sponsor for its upcoming annual conference.

Teva expressed disappointment with the decision and a desire to continue dialogue, stating, "Medicine is at its best when it is patient-focused, not when it is politicized." The company has faced significant fines, totaling approximately £1 billion (about 4 billion shekels) over the past decade from the European Commission and US authorities for bribery, price-fixing, and market abuse. In 2024, the European Commission fined Teva €462.6 million for hindering competition for its multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone in seven European countries.

Despite these pressures, Teva is experiencing a period of growth. Its second-quarter reports showed a 43% increase in sales for its top three originator drugs, exceeding $1 billion. These include Austedo for movement disorders, Ozvud for schizophrenia, and Ajovy for migraine prevention, the latter seeing a 56% surge. Teva anticipates these drugs will account for 22% of total revenue this year, up from 9% in 2022. The company also reported positive results from a Phase 2a trial for a novel celiac disease treatment and is awaiting FDA decisions on other drug candidates, with its stock price rising approximately 26% year-to-date.