PhotoA congressional hearing on Wednesday about the outlandish price increases of the EpiPen followed a pattern that has become all too familiar in recent years. A drug price soars for no reason; lawmakers call a hearing to scold a pharmaceutical executive; the executive pleads innocence and provides as little information as possible. So it seemed to go with the hearing on the EpiPen, which is used by people suffering a severe allergic reaction to inject epinephrine, a lifesaving drug. Lawmakers have also granted pharmaceutical companies long patent monopolies on their products, making it hard for generic drug companies to offer cheaper versions of brand-name medicines. Even after patents have expired, generic drug companies face numerous obstacles in bringing lower-priced medicines to market.

Source: New York Times September 22, 2016 00:45 UTC