Some of the most powerful new medicines pose a host of challenges for drug companies trying to copy and sell similar versions on the cheap. Can those companies find a sustainable path forward, or will patients get left stuck paying exorbitant prices?
Pharmaceutical Industry
Posted inCost of Care
Race to the Bottom: Hard Bargain
America pays less, on average, than any other major country for our generic drugs. But selling essential medicines at such low prices comes with hidden costs — from quality problems to frequent shortages.
Posted inCost of Care
Race to the Bottom: Boom Times
In this first part of our three-part series “Race to the Bottom,” we trace the origins of America’s generic drug industry — groundbreaking, bipartisan legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan that saved us trillions and also got us into trouble.
Posted inNews & Announcements
“Race to the Bottom”: A New Series from Tradeoffs on the Ailing Generic Drug Industry
Debuting Sept. 12, this three-part series examines the problems plaguing an industry that America now relies on to fill 9 out of every 10 prescriptions.
Posted inHealth Law
5 Ways America’s Courts Could Change Health Care in 2024
Key court decisions in 2024 about prescription drug prices, abortion bans, gender-affirming care and the Affordable Care Act could change the way health care is delivered in America.
Posted inHealth Law
Medical or Recreational? States Debate Where Psychedelics Belong
Amid research on psychedelics to treat mental health conditions, states roll out regulated use.
Posted inCost of Care
How Patents Help Keep Obesity Drug Prices Sky-High
A recent JAMA study sheds light on how the manufacturers of a class of popular weight-loss drugs have avoided competition from more affordable generics.
Posted inCost of Care
What to Expect When Medicare and Pharma Finally Negotiate Drug Prices
We explain how Medicare’s historic price negotiations with drugmakers will work, and the impact they could have.
Posted inPublic Health
Should Remote Opioid Addiction Treatment Stay in the Mix?
Two recent studies show the impact of an ongoing, COVID-era rule that let doctors treat opioid addiction entirely remotely.
Posted inHealth Law
A Closer Look at the Abortion Medication Mifepristone
What is the abortion drug at the center of a new legal maelstrom–and what happens if patients lose access to it?