UK Fine For Pfizer/Flynn’s ‘Excessive And Unfair’ Pricing Sends Clear Message To Others

The UK competition authority has fined Pfizer and Flynn Pharma a total of £90m for charging “excessive and unfair” prices for phenytoin sodium capsules; Pfizer has said it will appeal. With an earlier CMA decision to impose a hefty fine on GlaxoSmithKline for its part in a pay-for-delay deal, companies should pay careful consideration to any competition issues raised by their pricing strategies for marketed drugs.

The decision by the UK Competition and Markets Authority to impose a fine of almost £90m ($113m) on Pfizer and Flynn Pharma for charging “excessive and unfair” prices for the anti-epileptic drug, phenytoin sodium capsules, should serve as a warning to other companies that may be considering significant price increases on marketed drugs.

It is also likely to set alarm bells ringing among the other firms that are currently under investigation by the...

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