The market for supplying vital ostomy aids to Danish municipalities has narrowly escaped a double threat to healthy market competition. Following a series of interventions by the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority, two of the sector’s largest suppliers, OneMed and Kirstine Hardam, have officially abandoned their plans to merge. This development shows the culmination of an intense regulatory effort to shield local government budgets and vulnerable citizens from inflated healthcare costs.
Initially, the proposed merger between OneMed and Kirstine Hardam fell below the general turnover thresholds that automatically trigger a regulatory review. However, exercising a specific, rarely used provision within the Competition Act, the authority stepped in to mandate a formal notification anyway. Regulators identified a severe risk that the consolidation of these two major players would significantly hinder competition, likely leading to higher prices and diminished service quality for the municipalities relying on their products. Faced with the prospect of a rigorous investigation, the companies ultimately chose to scrap the deal before a final decision was rendered.
This merger attempt followed a separate, prolonged antitrust battle involving another industry giant, Coloplast Denmark. The Danish Competition Council previously ruled that Coloplast had abused its dominant market position by engaging in an illegal “margin squeeze” designed to push smaller rivals out of the municipal supply chain. Ironically, the targets of Coloplast’s anti-competitive behavior included OneMed and Kirstine Hardam, the very companies that later attempted to merge.
The regulatory crackdown on Coloplast began with temporary behavioral commitments in 2023, escalating to a formal cease-and-desist order in early 2025. While the Competition Appeals Board upheld this ruling in March 2026, Coloplast has since escalated the dispute by bringing the case before the Maritime and Commercial Court, where it remains pending.
By actively policing both predatory market behavior and potentially harmful corporate consolidation, the Danish competition authorities have successfully maintained a level playing field. Their persistent interventions ensure that multiple suppliers continue to vie for municipal contracts, preserving fair pricing and high standards of care for the citizens who depend on these essential medical supplies.
