Dr. Marty Makary

And I think you're going to see a real change in the price of these medications when you pick them up at the pharmacy and in the medical bill. Meaningful changes that are going to be pretty massive.

Yeah, good point. So most favored nation status is a declaration that Americans deserve the best price of a medication that is sold to wealthy countries, what we call OECD countries. So we're not saying we need the price that... Yeah, Ethiopia has or other poor countries. We're saying we want the price that wealthy nations get. They negotiate prices. They have a free market.

Yeah, good point. So most favored nation status is a declaration that Americans deserve the best price of a medication that is sold to wealthy countries, what we call OECD countries. So we're not saying we need the price that... Yeah, Ethiopia has or other poor countries. We're saying we want the price that wealthy nations get. They negotiate prices. They have a free market.

Why is the United States paying for all this R&D and upfront costs from basically price gouging Americans? Now, some will say that it will mean lower profits for pharma. Well, pharma has to figure out why they are charging such a lower price in other countries. They need to reconcile this massive disparity. And some might say that there might be less money for R&D. Well, I don't think so.

Why is the United States paying for all this R&D and upfront costs from basically price gouging Americans? Now, some will say that it will mean lower profits for pharma. Well, pharma has to figure out why they are charging such a lower price in other countries. They need to reconcile this massive disparity. And some might say that there might be less money for R&D. Well, I don't think so.

Pharma is pretty smart. They're going to create a level playing field because we are asking them to and we're doing it in a kind way. But we are also letting them know that we have the full regulatory authority of Medicare, of the Federal Trade Commission, of the trade representative, of the Department of Justice to ensure no monopoly pricing.

Pharma is pretty smart. They're going to create a level playing field because we are asking them to and we're doing it in a kind way. But we are also letting them know that we have the full regulatory authority of Medicare, of the Federal Trade Commission, of the trade representative, of the Department of Justice to ensure no monopoly pricing.

And even at FDA, we have good relationships with pharma, and we also have some carrots and sticks. So you're seeing an incredible coordinated effort come around now to try to bring this, to bring it home, and to actually make it happen. This is something politicians have talked about, but no one's made it happen.

And even at FDA, we have good relationships with pharma, and we also have some carrots and sticks. So you're seeing an incredible coordinated effort come around now to try to bring this, to bring it home, and to actually make it happen. This is something politicians have talked about, but no one's made it happen.

They've probably been worried about the pharma lobby, which is a massive lobby in Washington, D.C. I actually think when we see lower prices for Americans... you're going to see more access for lower income and minority communities. They have had a tough time paying high prices in the health care system across the board. Hospital bills, doctor's bills, drug prices.

They've probably been worried about the pharma lobby, which is a massive lobby in Washington, D.C. I actually think when we see lower prices for Americans... you're going to see more access for lower income and minority communities. They have had a tough time paying high prices in the health care system across the board. Hospital bills, doctor's bills, drug prices.

So we're actually going to see more access, not less, as some may argue when they say that, you know, R&D is going to take a hit from this. That's going to mean less drugs available. I think you're going to see more availability.

So we're actually going to see more access, not less, as some may argue when they say that, you know, R&D is going to take a hit from this. That's going to mean less drugs available. I think you're going to see more availability.

Is it as simple as that? Yes, it is, because Barack Obama talked about doing this. Bernie Sanders has talked about this a fair bit. Bill Clinton talked about this. As a matter of fact, in his second term, he talked about it a lot.

Is it as simple as that? Yes, it is, because Barack Obama talked about doing this. Bernie Sanders has talked about this a fair bit. Bill Clinton talked about this. As a matter of fact, in his second term, he talked about it a lot.

But all of them came short of actually doing it, because it takes a bold move where you're willing to go up against massive special interests and lobbyists to get this done. But it's also something that... sort of polls very low among the lobbyist community, but polls very high on Main Street among everyday Americans.

But all of them came short of actually doing it, because it takes a bold move where you're willing to go up against massive special interests and lobbyists to get this done. But it's also something that... sort of polls very low among the lobbyist community, but polls very high on Main Street among everyday Americans.

So I think you're going to see some really amazing activity on this, and I'm excited to be a part of it.

So I think you're going to see some really amazing activity on this, and I'm excited to be a part of it.

Well, we're going to see. We're going to work hard at this. There's a lot of things we can do at FDA. One of the main issues in drug pricing is monopoly pricing. So at the FDA, we can do more to bring more generics to market. We can move drugs to over-the-counter where there's more price transparency. And we can also facilitate the generic version of these expensive drugs called biologics.