WASHINGTON — Alex Azar, Trump’s pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department, doubled down on his commitment to bringing down prescription drug prices Tuesday — and even added a new target for future policymaking: drug makers’ list prices.
Lawmakers at Azar’s confirmation hearing Tuesday before the Senate Finance Committee, like those at an earlier hearing before a separate panel, grilled him repeatedly about his plans to bring down drug prices and his role in pricing decisions in his last job, as president of Eli Lilly’s U.S. business.
In that first hearing, Azar stuck to traditionally conservative policy ideas like encouraging the development of more generic drugs, including “a viable and robust biosimilar market,” and limiting abuses of the patent system. This time, however, he hinted that he is open to other policies that might go further to address the list prices that drug makers charge.
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