/>iThe Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), along with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (collectively, “the agencies”) have planned to host three listening sessions to discuss ways to lower pharmaceutical prices via increased competition.
According to a statement by the agencies, the listening sessions will feature practitioners and scholars who will provide comments addressing anticompetitive conduct and regulatory barriers that lead to higher drug prices. It is not clear whether industry participants will also be able to make remarks.
The listening sessions are part of efforts to implement President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14273, “Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First.” Notably, this executive order requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue recommendations designed to accelerate competition for high-cost prescription drugs.
The specific topics to be addressed during the listening sessions include anticompetitive conduct that impedes generic or biosimilar competition; formulary, benefit, and regulatory practices that impact drug competition; and how to turn insights into action. The dates and times of the listening sessions are as follows:
- Monday, June 30, at 2 p.m. ET
- Thursday, July 24, at 2 p.m. ET
- Monday, August 4, at 2 p.m. ET
The three sessions will be streamed live on the DOJ and FTC websites, with videos and transcripts being posted after the events.
