A congressional hearing May 16 over the price of Gilead’s HIV drug Truvada devolved at times to frustration and shouting, a signal that drug pricing legislation won’t be as bipartisan an issue as lawmakers and industry observers initially hoped.
There was a clear distinction between Republican and Democratic lines of questioning—with Democrats probing Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day about price increases, access issues, and tax deductions and Republicans focusing on research dollars spent by the company and the importance of innovation.
Multiple times throughout the hearing committee members across the aisle butted heads, including House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) with ...