After New Year's, expect more drug pricing fireworks in 2019

For several years, pharma watchers have witnessed drug pricing grow into a top issue facing the industry, dominating discussion almost daily. The conversation isn’t likely to subside next year, either. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle including the newly Democratic House—and the Trump administration are promising even more action to lower prices. Indeed, drug pricing is among the few issues Republicans and Democrats tend to agree on.
Already since the midterms, Democratic lawmakers have floated a bill directing the HHS secretary to break patents and allow generic competition when U.S. branded drug prices come in above their median price in Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, and Japan. Additionally, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Jan Schakowsky introduced bills that would allow government manufacturing of generic drugs wherever competition is lacking. But conversation including bills that may or may not go anywhere and actual change are two different things. The divided Congress, though certain to spawn even more new bills and, likely, some embarrassing public hearings, could well be gridlocked, experts say.