While the U.S. has historically led the global pharmaceutical industry by pursuing both continual innovation and high quality, those strengths could become areas of weakness in times of political uncertainty, according to PA Consulting expert Andy Prinz.

Getting the Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act through the U.S. Congress to do away with the “pill penalty” in the Medicare drug price negotiations could require an epic effort, given the current politically fueled atmosphere on the Hill. With the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which created the negotiations, considered a signature achievement of the Biden administration, the negotiations have become, for many lawmakers, almost a sacred cow that can’t be touched. If anything, some of them want to expand the negotiations to more drugs and to the commercial market.

While the U.S. has historically led the global pharmaceutical industry by pursuing both continual innovation and high quality, those strengths could become areas of weakness in times of political uncertainty, according to PA Consulting expert Andy Prinz.