The European Commission will consider whether to bring legal action against Roche, the pharmaceutical group, after the UK drugs watchdog decided not to pursue the company over its marketing of a slimming drug.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Monday that it had decided not to pursue a case against Roche after sanctions were imposed last year by the industry’s trade association over aggressive sales practices related to the slimming drug Xenical in private clinics.