US Senator calls for re-examination of pricing of drugs developed with public funds

20 March 2013

US Senator Ron Wyden (Democrat, Oregon) has released a letter written to National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins regarding concerns about achieving a reasonable balance between getting breakthrough pharmaceuticals to market quickly, making sure patients can afford these medicines and protecting the interests of taxpayers.

He noted that, 20 years ago, this issue was debated in his House subcommittee with respect to taxpayer investments in the chemotherapy drug Taxol. The NIH and its mission deserve strong support yet citizens remain concerned about public dollars being used to research and develop drugs and treatments which are then commercialized with the public getting short shrift.

Cites example of Pfizer’s soon to launch Xeljanz

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