THE REVERE ADVOCATE – THURSDAY, JULY 3, 2025 Page 7 With his new prescription drug order, Trump fixes what Biden broke By Larry Bucshon A mericans have been clamoring for sensible prescription drug reform for years. With the stroke of his pen, President Donald Trump answered that call. His executive order aims to bring down drug prices while “once again putting Americans fi rst.” Luckily, it specifi cally addresses one of the serious fl aws in the Biden administration’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program — an oversight that has discouraged investment in aff ordable, widely used medications. This reform could deliver major savings to patients — without undermining the innovation that drives medical breakthroughs. Now it’s up to Congress to fi nish the job. The reform in question addresses a fl aw in the Medicare price-setting scheme put in place by the 2022 Infl ation Reduction Act. That law gave the Secretary of Health and Human Services sweeping new authority to impose price controls on certain drugs covered by Medicare. But it also drew an arbitrary line between diff erent types of medicines by giving biologics, which are made from living organisms, 13 years before pricesetting kicks in, while smallmolecule drugs, like pills and capsules, get just nine. That four-year gap makes no clinical or economic sense. Many of the most important drugs in history, from aspirin to statins to HIV treatments, are small-molecule medicines. Yet innovators are now steering investment away from them. According to a recent study, investment in small-molecule drugs has already dropped by 68%. And compared to preIRA levels, new small-molecule cancer drug development programs fell over 40% last year. President Trump’s order calls for correcting this imbalance. The Republican-backed EPIC Act offers the clearest solution, aligning the treatment of small-molecule drugs with biologics by extending the pricesetting window to 13 years. My hope is that this legislation will pass quickly with bipartisan support. Passing EPIC would protect innovation, preserve patient access, and deliver on the president’s promise to fi x what the last administration got wrong. The order also acknowledges the critical role of intellectual property (IP) rights in bringing new drugs to patients — and promises to optimize those protections in ways that improve access and lower drug costs. Patents and other IP protections play a central role in pushing medical science forward. The previous administration’s eff orts to undermine these essential tools posed a direct threat to the foundations of America’s innovationdriven economy. Equally encouraging is the executive order’s treatment of the 340B Prescription Drug Program. The program was originally designed to help safety-net providers off er affordable medications to lowincome patients. Yet today, less than 40 percent of hospitals that use the program are in underserved areas. Altogether, this order is a blueprint for drug pricing reform that’s patient-focused, pro-innovation, and rooted in real-world solutions. Now, Congress can do its part, beginning with passing the EPIC Act. If they do, American patients could fi nally get the kind of affordable, innovative, and equitable prescription drug sector they’ve long demanded. Larry Bucshon, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon, served as the U.S. representative for Indiana’s 8th congressional district from 2011 to 2025. This piece originally ran in The Hill. SABATINO/MASTROCOLA INSURANCE AGENCY 519 BROADWAY EVERETT, MA 02149 Auto * Home * Boat * Renter * Condo * Life * Multi-Policy Discounts * Commercial 10% Discounts * Registry Service Also Available Sabatino Insurance is proud to welo welcome the loyal customers of tino Insur nce is p yal customers of ALWAYS READY TO SERVE YOU: Our Staff are, Emma Davidson, Jeimy Sanchez, Josephine Leone, Marie D’Amore, Rocco Longo, Z’andre Lopez, Anthony DiPierro, Darius Goudreau, Laurette Murphy, Danielle Goudreau and Tina Davidson. PHONE: (617) 387-7466 FAX: (617) 381-9186 Visit us online at: WWW.SABATINO-INS.COM co
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