In their words: Democratic candidates explain exactly how they’d lower drug prices

Democratic presidential candidates were recently interviewed by the editorial board of the Boston Globe, STAT’s sister publication, and STAT also got the opportunity to ask them about their proposals for lowering drug prices. Here’s a sampling of their remarks: 

• Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), on a CBO claim that some Democratic proposals to cut drug prices would lead to fewer new drugs: “I just don’t think that’s true. … We need to have a system where we bring down the cost of these prescription drugs, but at the same time, make more investment in medical research.” 
• Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, on breaking drug manufacturing patents to keep prices low: “I hope never to reach for that tool, but I think it’s really important that it be on the books.”
• Andrew Yang, on the threshold for seizing drug patents: “Failure to keep your pricing in line with international standards. You should not be charging Americans dramatically more than you’re charging citizens in other parts of the world.”  

Read the full responses with these and other candidates here.