President Trump went after the pharmaceutical industry on Twitter Monday:
"Pfizer & others should be ashamed that they have raised drug prices for no reason. They are merely taking advantage of the poor & others unable to defend themselves, while at the same time giving bargain basement prices to other countries in Europe & elsewhere. We will respond!"
Be smart: This isn't the first time Trump has condemned drug companies for their pricing. But while the president has maintained this tough rhetoric, his recent plan to lower drug prices actually went easy on Big Pharma — and instead targeted other parts of the health care system.
The federal opioids lawsuit pending in an Ohio district court likely will result in "hundreds of billions" of dollars flowing back to affected communities, according to Paul Hanly, one of the lawyers suing health care companies for their role in the epidemic.
Why it matters: The plaintiffs expect to win big money — through settlement or trial — that can then be used for drug treatment and recovery, although small towns and counties especially ravaged by the epidemic are worried money won't fairly flow down to them. But any outcome doesn't pose major financial risk to the companies in question, based on Wall Street's view of the case.
