Some Pharma CEO Statements at Hearing Could Invite Scrutiny

Pharma CEOs glossed over the full stories about issues like brand-name drug samples, R&D spending, and biosimilars, according to a Bloomberg Law analysis of their statements at a Feb. 26 Senate hearing.

Seven executives faced some skeptical senators in their high-profile appearance before the Senate Finance Committee. Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reminded the CEOs at the start of the hearing that “it’s a crime to provide false testimony to Congress.”

The committee’s ranking Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), brought up past hearings where he said tobacco company executives testified on Capitol Hill. “They lied that day,” Wyden said. “This ...