WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch Donald Trump Unveils ‘TrumpRx’ and Makes a Deal With Pfizer
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Oct 2, 2025 Alicia Finley, a healthcare journalist known for her insights on drug pricing and policy, dives deep into the Trump administration's new initiative, ‘TrumpRx.’ She discusses the potential implications of selling discounted drugs directly to consumers and questions whether it's driven by genuine need or political theatrics. The conversation also touches on Pfizer's agreement to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. in exchange for tariff relief and the broader issues of drug pricing, competition with generics, and the risks of government involvement in the market.
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Public Distrust Powers Drug Policy Battles
- Americans like their medicines but distrust drug companies, which fuels political attacks on pricing.
- That political pressure drives bipartisan measures to control drug firms despite complexities in pricing.
List Price Misleads About Who Gets The Money
- Alicia Finley argues GOP attacks hinge on grievance politics rather than facts about pricing.
- She notes pharma captures roughly half of list price; middlemen and PBMs take much of the remainder.
U.S. Market Speed Helps Patients
- The U.S. fosters faster launches and stronger competition for generics, benefiting patients with earlier access.
- Delays in Europe under single-payer pricing can cost patients months of access to new therapies.