releases: https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-opens-senate-investigation-into-rx-drug-pricing-announces-intention-to-hold-hearings
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-opens-senate-investigation-into-rx-drug-pricing-announces-intention-to-hold-hearings | McCaskill Opens Senate Investigation into Rx Drug Pricing, Announces Intention to Hold Hearings | 2015-11-11 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | MO | Claire McCaskill | M001170 | www.mccaskill.senate.gov | legacy | McCaskill Opens Senate Investigation into Rx Drug Pricing, Announces Intention to Hold Hearings Senator requests documents from four pharmaceutical companies concerning business acquisitions and drug pricing policies Wednesday, November 4, 2015 WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today announced a bipartisan Senate investigation into pharmaceutical drug pricing. The announcement follows a series of media reports detailing dramatic drug price increasesoften on older, off-patent drugsafter the acquisition or merger of pharmaceutical companies. Some of the recent actions weve seen in the pharmaceutical industrywith corporate acquisitions followed by dramatic increases in the prices of pre-existing drugshave looked like little more than price gouging, said McCaskill, former Missouri State Auditor and courtroom prosecutor. We need to get to the bottom of why were seeing huge spikes in drug prices that seemingly have no relationship to research and development costs. Im proud to help lead this bipartisan investigation so that we can find some answers the public wants and deserves. McCaskill and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), who together lead the Senate Special Committee on Aging, have requested documents and information from four pharmaceutical companies: Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Turing Pharmaceuticals, Retrophin Inc, and Rodelis Therapeutics. Each request focuses on drugs that have seen recent and significant spikes in price. We seek your cooperation with this investigation so that the Committee may better understand drug pricing and related regulatory and public policy concerns. In particular, the Committee wishes to learn more about Turing Pharmaceuticals recent acquisition of the rights to sell Daraprim, a drug used to treat and prevent infections, from Impax Laboratories and Turings subsequent decision to increase the price of Daraprim from $13.50 to $750 [per tablet], reads the Senators letter to Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli. McCaskills investigation will include an examination of: Substantial price increases on recently acquired off-patent drugs Mergers and acquisitions within the pharmaceutical industry that have sometimes led to dramatic increases in off-patent drug prices; and The Food and Drug Administrations role in the drug approval process for generic drugs, the agencys distribution protocols, and, if necessary, its off-label regulatory regime. The Senate Special Committee on Aging has tentatively scheduled an initial hearing on this issue for December 9, 2015, and will hold subsequent hearings, as needed, in the following months. Seniors account for 13 percent of the population but account for 34 percent of the all prescription medication used. More than 40 percent of seniors take five or more prescription drugs per day. The letter to Valeant Pharmaceuticals is available on the committees website HERE. The letter to Turing Pharmaceuticals is available HERE. The letter to Retrophin, Inc. is available HERE. The letter to Rodelis Therapeutics is available HERE. The Special Committee on Aging, led by Chairman Collins and Ranking Member McCaskill, promotes discussions and conducts investigations on areas of special interest to older Americans. ### Print Email Tweet | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |