NIH Push for Fair Drug Prices: Washington, DC Can the National Institutes of Health influence drug prices? While it doesn’t directly approve or pay for medicines, its substantial role in drug research gives it unexpected sway.
Senator Bernie Sanders, leading the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee, opposed Dr. Monica Bertagnolli’s NIH director confirmation, expressing doubt about her readiness to stand up to the pharmaceutical industry.
However, Sanders plans to collaborate with Bertagnolli, confirmed on Nov. 7. He emphasizes the need for change at the NIH, which allocates billions for biomedical research, laying the groundwork for lucrative drug industry profits.
“The drug companies get the product, and they end up charging us the highest prices in the world for it,” Sanders asserts, highlighting the issue of taxpayer-funded drug development leading to expensive medications.
The Moderna COVID vaccine exemplifies this problem. Developed with the NIH, the government agreed to purchase 100 million doses, even if it failed trials. However, the leverage as a funder could have been better utilized to ensure reasonable pricing.
Ameet Sarpatwari from Harvard Medical School notes the pharmaceutical industry’s tendency to downplay the NIH’s role. Still, the NIH is the world’s largest single funder of biomedical research.
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Sanders aims for a shift in NIH’s stance on drug pricing and hopes for a less cozy relationship with the pharmaceutical industry under new leadership. He has called for an investigation into an NIH licensing deal with Scarlet TCR, a startup linked to a former NIH employee, raising concerns about potential high prices for a government-developed drug.
The NIH acknowledges concerns about high drug prices and commits to ensuring affordability for all Americans. Dr. Bertagnolli, in her Senate confirmation, expressed a similar commitment.
The spotlight is on NIH’s evolving role in drug pricing, with Sanders advocating for a fair and accessible approach to the benefits of NIH-funded research.
Our Reader’s Queries
What is the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act of 2023?
Three laws championed by Grassley, known as the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act, are now in effect to tackle unfair business tactics and prevent pharmaceutical companies from taking advantage of taxpayers and consumers for their own gain.
How much have prescription drug prices increased in 2023?
The average price of drugs that saw an increase from January 2022 to January 2023 went up by 15.2 percent, compared to the 11.5 percent increase between 2021 and 2022.
What is the price gouging of medication?
Price-gouging laws (PGLs) aim to stop and allow action against the act of selling prescription drugs at an unreasonable or excessive price.
Can the FDA control drug prices?
The FDA lacks the power to control drug prices in the US. Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers are the ones who set these prices.