The Hill: Pharmaceutical corporations need to stop free-riding on publicly funded research
Jason Cone, executive director of Doctors Without Borders, USA

“…Pharmaceutical companies have perpetuated a myth that high prices are necessary in order to compensate for the risks and investments they undertake when developing drugs. And governments like the U.S. — the biggest funder of global health research and development (R&D) — have let them. … In reality, companies receive substantial publicly funded support from the government. … Taxpayers contribute through public university research, grants, subsidies, and other incentives. This means people are often paying twice for their medicines: through their tax dollars and at the pharmacy. … If [the Trump administration] is serious about bringing down drug prices, the first thing it should do is put access and affordability conditions on the public funding given to medical products in development. If the public funds the research that led to the development of a certain medicine, there should be limits to what government will allow companies to charge consumers. … It’s time for the U.S. to … get serious about promoting real innovation and lowering drug prices for everyone. This administration should start by putting an end to pharmaceutical corporations free-riding on publicly funded research” (3/3).