May 26, 2017
The new FDA chief has a plan for taking on drug prices
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb says he's figured out a few things the FDA can do to help control rising drug prices, even though that issue isn't specifically part of the agency's mission. Business Insider has a good rundown of what he proposed at yesterday's House subcommittee hearing on FDA funding for next year:
- Keep drug companies from gaming the system to win more time without competition.
- Help get complex generic drugs to market more quickly.
- Cut the backlog of generic drugs waiting for approval.
Why it matters: Republicans are counting on Gottlieb to help them achieve their goal: bring down drug prices through market competition, not through government intervention.