Outrage over high drug prices reached a fever pitch this year, but Congress is likely to end its term without taking major action on the issue.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., told reporters late Wednesday that it is going to be difficult for Congress to take action on a slew of bills to address high drug prices.
“I think it will have to be pushed into the next session,” Cummings said.
The top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee made the comments after the committee wrapped up its hearing on high drug prices, featuring testimony from Mylan CEO Heather Bresch.
Mylan is the latest drug company to feel congressional ire over sharp price increases. The company ignited a public outrage after raising the price of the allergy drug EpiPen by 400 percent since acquiring it in 2007.
Cummings said he tries to be optimistic, but, “I think for us to get this hearing was a major event.”
He added that the panel still needed to get critical information from Mylan, including basic information on EpiPen profits and costs devoted to research and development.
The committee gave Mylan 10 days to submit further information.
“In 10 days from now we are out,” Cummings said, referring to Congress breaking for about six weeks for the elections.
The House will return Nov. 14 for a lame-duck session and then leave Dec. 16.
Cummings detailed legislation that he filed that would require generic drug makers to reimburse Medicaid if a price for their product grows beyond the rate of inflation. That requirement already exists for brand name products, but not generics.
Other legislation introduced by other lawmakers last week intends to require drug makers to disclose the reasoning behind high drug prices, including research and development costs.
The EpiPen spike is the latest drug to draw attention to prices. In February, the oversight committee held a similar hearing that scrutinized price increases for older generics from Valeant Pharmaceuticals and Turing Pharmaceuticals, which was previously helmed by controversial CEO Martin Shkreli.
