Covid-19 isn’t stopping progressives from dropping new drug pricing legislation 

A bipartisan group of legislators, led by Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), introduced two pieces of legislation Monday  to limit how much drug makers can charge for potential Covid-19 treatments. 

The bills are the clearest attempt yet by progressives to hold up the Covid-19 pandemic as evidence that Congress needs to pass since-stalled drug pricing reforms. However, they’re likely to face an uphill battle: Momentum for drug pricing reforms in Washington has virtually vanished since the start of the pandemic. 

The first bill stipulates that drug companies be required to “reasonably price” any new COVID-19 drugs. The bill doesn’t directly define what is reasonable, but it directs the HHS secretary to consider a number of factors, including the drug’s efficacy and the impact of a drug’s price on access for minority groups. The bill would also ban so-called exclusive licenses for any drug developed using taxpayer funds. 

The second piece of legislation would establish a single public database for any federal spending on COVID-19 R&D at drug companies, including tax incentives.