Drug manufacturers suing to block Trump rule to display prices in television commercials

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Merck, Eli Lilly, Amgen and the Association of National Advertisers said the rule would mislead patients about the price of drugs and that the Department of Health and Social Services Services exceeded its authority.
The Trump administration demands drug prices in television commercials

"The impetus for the lawsuit is the price of drugs in television commercials, but the crux of the problem is that HHS does not have the authority to order this action," he said. said Eli Lilly in a statement. "Not only does the rule exceed the statutory authority of the department and raises issues of freedom of expression, but the focus on the current price of a drug creates confusion because this Is not the price that most patients will pay. "

Reducing drug prices has been a central concern for President Donald Trump, as well as legislators on both sides of the aisle. Experts have, however, questioned the utility of providing current drug prices in advertisements, with most policyholders paying much less. They fear that the prices advertised will frighten patients with medications they could afford with their health insurance.

Health Secretary Alex Azar was president of Lilly USA, the company's largest subsidiary, before joining the Trump administration. Since then, he has lashed out at his former industry peers for the high cost of drugs.

"If pharmaceutical companies are embarrassed by their prices or fear that prices will frighten patients, they should lower them," HHS spokesman Caitlin Oakley said in response to the complaint. "President Trump and Secretary Azar are committed to providing patients with the information they need to make their own health care decisions."

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The rule, announced last month, is the first to be applied from the administration's master plan to reduce drug costs, published a year ago. It requires drug manufacturers to include the price of any drug that costs more than $ 35 for a month of treatment or regular treatment. The agency chose this award because it is about the average quota of a favorite brand drug.

"Requiring the inclusion of drug catalog prices in television commercials is the single most important step taken by any administration in the sense of a simple commitment: US patients deserve to know the price of health care that They receive, "said Azar at the time.

Although the new rule does not provide for an enforcement mechanism, Azar stated that failure to include the price would be considered a misleading business practice and could result in prosecution by industry competitors.

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