Britain raps Pfizer over inflated drug prices

Britain's competition watchdog alleged on Thursday that U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and Flynn Pharma had breached competition law by ramping up the cost of an epilepsy drug used by more than 50,000 British patients. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its provisional view was that Pfizer and Flynn Pharma each abused a dominant position by charging "excessive and unfair" prices for phenytoin sodium capsules. Pfizer, which was in politicians' crosshairs last year after trying to buy British rival AstraZeneca, manufactures the drug and Flynn distributes it. The U.S. group used to market the medicine itself, under the brand name Epanutin, but sold the rights to Flynn in September 2012, since when the price at which the product is sold to Flynn has surged, the CMA said.