Price Checks

The saga surrounding US drug pricing reform continues to capture much attention on the public stage, with new twists and turns occurring seemingly on a daily basis.

As of press time for the October issue of Pharmaceutical Executive, the latest big development was Pfizer’s deal with the Trump administration to sell its existing drugs to Medicaid patients at prices on par with those in other countries. The move was likely the first of many by Big Pharma to comply with Trump’s push for most-favored nation (MFN) pricing in the US, which he outlined in a letter over the summer to 17 companies, giving them until late September to offer proposals. Pfizer also agreed to be part of the White House’s new DTC website to purchase drugs.

Meanwhile, a couple days later, the administration paused its plans to impose 100% tariffs on pharma imports as it attempts to negotiate similar agreements with other manufacturers.

So what does this all mean? In the immediate, of course, key details on implementation and the like are still uncertain as new developments are sure to unfold. But one thing we love doing here at Pharm Exec is to explore the long-term implications, considerations, and potential impacts related to such market-critical terrains. It’s part and parcel of our mission to always advance the discussion—and understanding—amid the fluidity.

We do just that in our October issue, with a special guest thought leader section focused on drug pricing. In a pair of separate deep-dive pieces, experts examine two of the top settings for drug pricing change, reform, and debate: the Inflation Reduction Act and the aforementioned MFN model.

I won’t give away any specifics here, but I encourage you to check out the data-rich analyses and learnings as you peruse our October content slate. I hope you find the insights valuable.

As always, thanks for reading.

Mike Hennessy Jr. is Chairman and CEO of MJH Life Sciences