[Levin]

Aug 2, 2022 


Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Flynn fined £63 million and £6.7 million respectively

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The fines are the result of an in-depth investigation carried out by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which found that Pfizer and Flynn charged unfairly high prices for phenytoin sodium capsules for over 4 years, ultimately paid for by the NHS.

The firms de-branded the drug, previously known as Epanutin, meaning it was no longer subject to price regulation and the firms could set prices at their discretion. Given Pfizer and Flynn were the dominant suppliers of the drug in the UK at the time, the NHS had no choice but to pay the inflated final price for this important anti-epilepsy medicine.

Over the following 4 years, Pfizer charged prices between 780% and 1,600% higher than previously. The company supplied the drug to Flynn, which then sold the capsules on to wholesalers and pharmacies at a price between 2,300% and 2,600% higher than the prices previously charged by Pfizer. This illegal behaviour led to NHS annual costs for phenytoin capsules increasing from £2 million in 2012 to approximately £50 million the following year.


https://www.gov.uk/government/news/70-mi...harged-nhs