Thunderbolt: Pfizer has just been sentenced to 75 million dollars for defrauding the British government
Pfizer has just been sentenced to a fine of 75 million dollars for fraud by deliberately inflating the price of a drug against epilepsy sold to the British health agency (National Health Services). Thanks to a cleverly orchestrated scam, the American laboratory has inflated prices by 780% to 1600% in the space of 4 years. An unhealthy practice denounced on July 21 by the British government in an official press release read by Lecourrier-du-soir.com
Sad news for Pfizer. The American pharmaceutical giant, which was sentenced last May to 290,000 dollars for having deliberately deceived its patients, has once again fallen into the net of British justice. At least that's what we learned on July 21 from several British sources, including The Guardian .
Indeed, according to this media, the American laboratory, Pfizer and the British giant Flynn Pharma were both fined 70 million pounds (84 million dollars). These two pharmaceutical giants are accused of having deceived the British health agency (National Health Services) by overcharging the prices of drugs for the fight against epilepsy.
The information was confirmed by the British government in a press release made public on July 21 and consulted by Lecourrier-du-soir.com . Indeed, according to the statement in question, Pfizer was fined 63 million pounds (75 million dollars) against 6.7 million pounds (about 8 million dollars) for Flynn Pharma. The two fines were imposed by the CMA (Competition and Market Authority), the British government agency in charge of regulating competition on the British market.
In the press release consulted by our media, the British government informs us that the two laboratories (Pfizer and Flynn Pharma) have been found guilty of having illegally inflated the prices of a drug for the fight against epilepsy for 4 years. .
The revelations made by the British government are mind-blowing. Indeed, in the press release, London indicates that the two labs have removed the name of the drug, formerly known as Epanutin, so that the price is no longer subject to market regulation and thus can set their own price as good seems to them. For lack of choice (because the two labs were the largest suppliers on the market), the British health agency was then forced to buy the said drug at an extremely high price.
The government does not stop there. In the press release, we learn that Pfizer has thus inflated the price of the drug from 780% to 1600% (more than the normal price) in just 4 years. And that's not all. According to the statement, Pfizer supplied the drug to Flynn Pharma who in turn resold the boxes to wholesalers and pharmacies at an estimated price between 2,300% and 2,600% more than the price set by Pfizer. .
An unhealthy practice vigorously denounced by the British government which has made it known that the costs of drugs (for the British State) have thus increased from 2 million pounds (2 million dollars) to 50 million pounds (59 million dollars) between 2012 and 2013.
As a reminder, last May, Pfizer was fined 290,000 dollars for having deliberately deceived its patients by pushing them to spend more to obtain drugs manufactured by the laboratory. The information had been confirmed by the Denver Post media which tells us that the American pharmaceutical giant offered, from 2014 to 2018, vouchers to poor patients to help them buy drugs to fight against mild symptoms and severe menopause.
On the vouchers in question, it was however very clearly specified that the beneficiaries will not spend more than the amount mentioned therein. In fact, it was totally wrong. Because, an investigation will prove that the latter have paid much more.
The case will give rise to legal proceedings which ended up paying because the American laboratory was fined a heavy fine of 290,000 dollars. In any case, in Colorado, Pfizer will have to pay an amount of 107,000 dollars to compensate some 1,500 injured consumers.
And that's not all. Indeed, in a press release published on May 20 by the Colorado Attorney General's office and read in full by Lecourrier-du-soir.com , we learn that the American giant was also ordered to pay 30,000 dollars to reimburse the costs file related to this matter.
- Source : Sheikh Dieng
