Pfizer Covid Pill Targeted in Bid for Biden to Spur Drug Access

The Biden administration is facing mounting pressure to take a direct hand in lowering drug prices and increasing access, with Pfizer Inc.‘s Covid pill and an AstraZeneca plc asthma drug among the targets of an advocacy group’s petition.

Advocates behind the Make Meds Affordable campaign want the Health and Human Services Department to use existing levers to take down “patent monopolies” and make drugs more affordable, according to a Thursday petition lodged with the agency. The petition is billed as a workaround while Congress hammers out drug pricing legislation.

“HHS does not need to wait for ...