At the same time the Trump administration has vowed to attack rising drug costs, the Department of Commerce has released a report that some academics and consumer advocates argue would restrain the ability of the federal government to limit “excessive” prescription drug prices.
In a lengthy document that largely mirrors a draft report leased late last year, the department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology offers suggestions for modernizing technology transfer and innovation, and proposed several ideas for maximizing returns on taxpayer investment in R&D.
“The purpose is to address U.S. economic competitive and security,” Walter Copan, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology Director at NIST, told us. He added that the report is not a policy document, but the basis for further discussion.
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