Kaiser Health News said documents related to President Donald Trump’s agenda to lower drug prices revealed “behind-the-scene discussions influenced by the pharmaceutical industry.”
According to KHN, senior White House staff on June 16 discussed a pending executive order on pharmaceutical costs, a meeting which involved Trump’s Drug Pricing and Innovation Working Group. Joe Grogan, Office of Management and Budget associate director of health programs, heads the group
Grogan up until March was ironically a lobbyist for Gilead Sciences, a pharmaceutical company which charges $1,000 per pill for its hepatitis C medication.
“To solve the crisis of high drug prices, the group discussed strengthening the monopoly rights of pharmaceuticals overseas, ending discounts for low-income hospitals and accelerating drug approvals by the Food and Drug Administration,” KHN reports.
According to KHN, the administration declined to comment on the group.
Read the full article on Kaiser Health News by clicking here.