Drug Prices
Biosimilars
PBM’s Drug Cut Exceeds the Total Cost of Medicines In Most Other Countries
Another fundamental problem is these comparisons rely on U.S. medicines’ gross (or list) price. But list prices do not account for the complex U.S. drug supply chain, where manufacturers receive only a portion of the gross price and intermediaries, such as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), receive a disproportionate share. As ...
Wayne Winegarden
June 22, 2026
Commentary
Congress should fulfill this drug program’s promise to vulnerable Californians
A federal program intended to help low-income patients has instead become a major revenue source for large California hospital systems. Hospitals are using gaps in oversight within the 340B Drug Pricing Program to lock in substantial margins on prescription drugs — and driving healthcare costs higher for Californians in the ...
Wayne H Winegarden
June 18, 2026
Commentary
This Drug Patent Bill Would Hurt Innovation Without Lowering Prices
This week, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions will consider several bills that aim to “make health care more affordable and accessible to American families.” One in particular deserves a closer look. The Medication Affordability and Patent Integrity Act, introduced by Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and co-sponsored ...
Sally C. Pipes
June 16, 2026
Commentary
Trump Should Stand Firm Against Europe’s Drug Price Free-Riders
For decades, wealthy foreign governments have left it to Americans to pay for pharmaceutical innovation — and then insisted on enjoying the fruits of that innovation at a discount. President Trump has begun challenging that status quo through trade negotiations designed to pressure foreign countries into paying more for innovative ...
Sally C. Pipes
June 12, 2026
Drug Innovation
Unauthorized GLP-1 Knockoffs Risk Patient Safety and Future Innovation, New PRI Brief Warns
As federal regulators intensify enforcement against companies selling unauthorized knockoffs of blockbuster weight-loss drugs, a new Pacific Research Institute brief warns that the booming GLP-1 knockoff market is creating patient safety risks while undermining future breakthrough medicines. “GLP-1s are among the most promising medical breakthroughs in decades, helping patients struggling ...
Wayne Winegarden
June 11, 2026
340B
It’s Time For Congress To Get 340B Out Of Its Blind Spot
That should alarm anyone concerned about rising healthcare costs, misuse of taxpayer dollars, financial burdens on employers, or the integrity of our nation’s safety net. Congress must stop ignoring this problem and inject some badly needed transparency into 340B. Read the full article at Forbes
Sally C. Pipes
May 21, 2026
Commentary
Trump Puts Drug Pricing Program Fraudsters on Notice
The Trump administration is ramping up its fight against waste, fraud, and abuse in healthcare. And that effort could help make care more affordable for millions of Americans. One of its latest targets is the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a little-known federal initiative that has warped the prescription drug market. ...
Sally C. Pipes
May 8, 2026
Commentary
Germany Wants Cheaper Drugs—And Americans To Pay The Difference
What does a new healthcare reform effort in Germany have to do with American patients? Quite a lot, actually. The German government is looking to cut healthcare spending by tens of billions of euros. To that end, it is pushing pharmaceutical companies to accept significantly lower prices for new medicines. ...
Sally C. Pipes
May 7, 2026
Commentary
Don’t penalize patients for shopping smart on drugs — reward them
Patients shouldn’t be penalized for finding a better deal on their prescriptions. Too often, they are. Those who pay out of pocket for medications — often at lower prices through direct-to-consumer platforms — typically receive no credit toward their health plan’s annual deductible. Higher-priced drugs purchased through an insurer’s preferred ...
Sally C. Pipes
April 27, 2026
Blog
The FTC Is Settling for Lower Drug Prices
The FTC alleged that Express Scripts “artificially inflated the list price of insulin drugs by using anticompetitive and unfair rebating practices, and impaired patients’ access to lower list price products, ultimately shifting the cost of high insulin list prices to vulnerable patients.” This is a big win – and not just for ...
Sally Pipes and Wayne Winegarden
April 6, 2026
PBM’s Drug Cut Exceeds the Total Cost of Medicines In Most Other Countries
Another fundamental problem is these comparisons rely on U.S. medicines’ gross (or list) price. But list prices do not account for the complex U.S. drug supply chain, where manufacturers receive only a portion of the gross price and intermediaries, such as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), receive a disproportionate share. As ...
Congress should fulfill this drug program’s promise to vulnerable Californians
A federal program intended to help low-income patients has instead become a major revenue source for large California hospital systems. Hospitals are using gaps in oversight within the 340B Drug Pricing Program to lock in substantial margins on prescription drugs — and driving healthcare costs higher for Californians in the ...
This Drug Patent Bill Would Hurt Innovation Without Lowering Prices
This week, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions will consider several bills that aim to “make health care more affordable and accessible to American families.” One in particular deserves a closer look. The Medication Affordability and Patent Integrity Act, introduced by Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and co-sponsored ...
Trump Should Stand Firm Against Europe’s Drug Price Free-Riders
For decades, wealthy foreign governments have left it to Americans to pay for pharmaceutical innovation — and then insisted on enjoying the fruits of that innovation at a discount. President Trump has begun challenging that status quo through trade negotiations designed to pressure foreign countries into paying more for innovative ...
Unauthorized GLP-1 Knockoffs Risk Patient Safety and Future Innovation, New PRI Brief Warns
As federal regulators intensify enforcement against companies selling unauthorized knockoffs of blockbuster weight-loss drugs, a new Pacific Research Institute brief warns that the booming GLP-1 knockoff market is creating patient safety risks while undermining future breakthrough medicines. “GLP-1s are among the most promising medical breakthroughs in decades, helping patients struggling ...
It’s Time For Congress To Get 340B Out Of Its Blind Spot
That should alarm anyone concerned about rising healthcare costs, misuse of taxpayer dollars, financial burdens on employers, or the integrity of our nation’s safety net. Congress must stop ignoring this problem and inject some badly needed transparency into 340B. Read the full article at Forbes
Trump Puts Drug Pricing Program Fraudsters on Notice
The Trump administration is ramping up its fight against waste, fraud, and abuse in healthcare. And that effort could help make care more affordable for millions of Americans. One of its latest targets is the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a little-known federal initiative that has warped the prescription drug market. ...
Germany Wants Cheaper Drugs—And Americans To Pay The Difference
What does a new healthcare reform effort in Germany have to do with American patients? Quite a lot, actually. The German government is looking to cut healthcare spending by tens of billions of euros. To that end, it is pushing pharmaceutical companies to accept significantly lower prices for new medicines. ...
Don’t penalize patients for shopping smart on drugs — reward them
Patients shouldn’t be penalized for finding a better deal on their prescriptions. Too often, they are. Those who pay out of pocket for medications — often at lower prices through direct-to-consumer platforms — typically receive no credit toward their health plan’s annual deductible. Higher-priced drugs purchased through an insurer’s preferred ...
The FTC Is Settling for Lower Drug Prices
The FTC alleged that Express Scripts “artificially inflated the list price of insulin drugs by using anticompetitive and unfair rebating practices, and impaired patients’ access to lower list price products, ultimately shifting the cost of high insulin list prices to vulnerable patients.” This is a big win – and not just for ...