• Unsustainable: How to Turn 8 pennies into $600
• The Generic Drug Rip-off
• No Real Healthcare Cost Crisis
High Drug Prices
Featured Editorials
FDA's Role in the Problem:
The FDA has played a significant role in keeping drug prices high through excessive regulatory hurdles and protectionist policies that favor large pharmaceutical companies. The approval process for generics has become so costly—rising from less than $1 million in 2003 to $5 million or more—that competition is stifled. This allows pharmaceutical companies to maintain monopolies on essential medications, leading to price gouging. Furthermore, the FDA has restricted drug importation, preventing Americans from accessing lower cost medications available in other countries. In one instance, a generic drug (acyclovir) sold for $600, but the active ingredient cost was only 8 pennies.
Proposed Policy Solutions:
Legislators can advocate for the Free Speech about Science Act, which aims to protect truthful, non-misleading health claims from FDA censorship. This would allow companies to share peer-reviewed research with the public without fear of regulatory retaliation. Additionally, Congress should enforce First Amendment protections against arbitrary FDA speech restrictions.
