USA: Investigadas sobre precios 12 compañías farmacéuticas

WASHINGTON — The House Oversight Committee on Monday announced an investigation into 12 pharmaceutical companies and their drug-pricing methods, billing it as one of the broadest inquiries in decades into how drug manufacturers set prices.

It is the fulfillment of a pledge from Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the committee chairman, who has said he will make high prescription drug costs a top priority in his oversight agenda. One of the committee’s first hearings, set for Jan. 29, will focus on the same topic.

“For years, drug companies have been aggressively increasing prices on existing drugs and setting higher launch prices for new drugs while recording windfall profits,” Cummings said in a statement. “The goals of this investigation are to determine why drug companies are increasing prices so dramatically, how drug companies are using the proceeds, and what steps can be taken to reduce prescription drug prices.”

Seven drug companies received requests for information about a single drug: AstraZeneca, Teva, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, and Mallinckrodt. Amgen, Pfizer, and Novo Nordisk received information requests regarding two of their drugs. Sanofi and AbbVie each received requests for information regarding three. (AbbVie also plays a role in marketing Imbruvica, the Johnson & Johnson lymphoma drug under scrutiny.) (Más)

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