Chronic disease benefits drug companies more than the converse

You may have read that 10 prescription drugs are now subject to price negotiation between Medicare and the drug manufacturers. These 10 drugs alone cost the federal government over $50 billion last year. While this provision of the Inflation Reduction Act is historic, it is also wild that drug companies have blocked any negotiation until now. Every other developed nation has a system for negotiating prescription drug prices in order to keep costs down for patients and taxpayers. Our approach leads to outsized healthcare expenditures, of which 18% are prescription drugs.

Let’s examine the list of 10. Jardiance and Farxiga are for diabetes, kidney disease and heart failure (kidney disease usually develops from diabetes, and heart failure usually develops from atherosclerotic heart disease). Januvia and NovoLog are also for diabetes. Entresto is also for heart failure. Eliquis and Xarelto are blood thinners to prevent or treat clots in atrial fibrillation, pulmonary embolism, or peripheral artery disease (conditions which are most commonly associated with high blood pressure, obesity, and atherosclerotic heart disease). Enbrel and Stelara are biologic drugs for inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Crohn disease (all associated with smoking; RA and psoriasis are also highly associated with obesity). And Imbruvica is a biologic drug for certain leukemias. The common thread among 9 of the 10 drugs which were targeted for negotiation because of their unsustainable costs? Diabesity, heart disease, and inflammation. We should ensure prescription drugs are reasonably priced. But what if fewer people needed them?

https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/08/29/hhs-selects-the-first-drugs-for-medicare-drug-price-negotiation.html