UPDATE: US presidential contender Clinton unveils plans to curb 'outrageous' drug prices

Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner Democratic presidential candidate in the USA, has said that, if elected, she would implement programs to force the pharmaceutical industry to concede tens of billions of dollars a year in tax breaks, lower prices and increase research spending.

She outlined details of her plan on Tuesday at a community forum in Des Moines, Iowa. However, ahead of this on Monday, Mrs Clinton’s “tweet” about drug “price gouging” being “outrageous,” wiped $15 billion from the value of US biotechnology stocks.

One proposal put forward by Mrs Clinton would limit how much patients could have to spend out of pocket for drugs to $250 a month, or $3,000 a year. It is an idea that builds on policy in the Affordable Care Act limiting total out-of-pocket medical spending to $6,600 a year for an individual, and $13,200 for a family, noted a Bloomberg report.