Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. Pharma Exposed
- The House Committee on Oversight and Reform released reports on five pharmaceutical manufacturers’ abusive pricing practices this week. The reports, part of an 18-month investigation led by the committee, revealed internal company documents that expose a disturbing pattern of abusive pricing practices, anti-competitive behavior, and manipulative marketing campaigns. The documents exposed that pharma’s favorite talking points are nothing more than smoke and mirrors. — (Bloomberg, FiercePharma)
2. Debate Dishonesty
- During Tuesday’s presidential debate, President Trump claimed that he has drastically lowered the prices of prescription drugs, including insulin, which he claimed is “so cheap, it’s like water.” Our verdict? False. Many insulin-dependent patients still pay hundreds of dollars each month, and pharma companies have actually hiked drug prices during the pandemic. The president has spent nearly four years in office talking about lowering drug prices, but we’ve yet to see meaningful action. — (STAT)
3. Life or Death
- Drug pricing is emerging as a top issue this election year, with candidates from both parties fighting to claim it as their own. But at the heart of the issue are patients like Travis, who is forced to seek lower insulin prices from other countries, and Jacquie, who worries about what she would do if her insurance stopped covering her drug. Lowering drug prices should be more than a talking point for politicians — for many Americans, it’s a matter of life or death. — (Center for Health Journalism)
