Progressives Seek Tougher Drugmaker Penalties in Pricing Bill

Progressives in the House and their allies want Democratic leaders to pass again a Medicare drug pricing negotiation bill, only this time with tougher penalties for pharmaceutical companies that refuse to reduce the costs of their medicines.

They also want to expand the number of medicines facing government negotiation, speed up the timeline for implementation and revoke patent exclusivity for drugmakers that won’t agree to lower prices, lawmakers and outside groups say.

Their starting point would be the drug pricing bill passed by the House in December 2019 by a vote of 230-192 with the backing of only two Republicans. ...