Opinion: Patients will be the losers as Pelosi’s plan to control drug prices nearly strikes out

This year has brought new treatments for osteoporosis, advanced bladder cancer, Ebola, tuberculosis, spinal muscular atrophy, and postpartum depression. And it’s only autumn — the season in which Congress and President Trump will decide to kill biomedical innovation with their proposals on drug prices just as we’re entering a new era of curative medicines.

The press is reporting on “bipartisan efforts to lower drug prices,” taking for granted that any debate about drug prices presumes that there are drugs to price.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi finally released her three-part plan to lower drug prices last week. The first two parts would be terrible for patients. The third is exactly what we need.

First bad idea: one price for the U.S., E.U., and Japan

Pelosi would peg U.S. drug prices to those paid by Japan and several European single-payer health care systems