Drugmakers prepare for the unusual: A defeat in Washington

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Democrats' next big bill could include drug price negotiations and other industry curbs. Pharma may not be able to fight it off this time.

By SUSANNAH LUTHI and SARAH OWERMOHLE

03/23/2021 04:30 AM EDT

The pharmaceutical industry is preparing to take a hit in Democrats’ next major legislative package — and the long-untouchable powerhouse is racing to contain the damage.

Democratic lawmakers are weighing whether to include drug pricing measures that could extract tens of billions of dollars from the industry, or potentially more, to help pay for a massive infrastructure bill they could try to pass along party lines this summer.

A renewed debate over whether to allow the government to negotiate drug prices, which is strongly opposed by pharma and Republican lawmakers, could become a watershed moment for an industry that’s unaccustomed to losing — and survived the Trump era largely unscathed, even as the previous president found rare common ground with Democrats in bashing high drug prices. But those with knowledge of initial discussions told POLITICO that Democratic lawmakers appear intent on using their razor-thin congressional majorities to finally push through a drug pricing overhaul for at least one simple reason: It’s one of the few issues under consideration that would save money in a sprawling package expected to cost trillions.

“The huge difference between drug prices and literally everything else out there: Everything else costs money, and this one saves money,” said Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, whose group is in close contact with congressional staffers on drug pricing.

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https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/23/drugmakers-brace-for-washington-loss-477517

[CurtEastPoint]

1. The US is being extorted by them. THey need to be controlled. 6 examples.

[Hortensis]

2. House Dems passed the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act,

H.R.3, last year and of course it and the Democrats' senate bill gathered dust in McConnell's office since. But now it's finally going to happen.

[crickets]

3. Come on, Dems. Make it happen. nt