Letter: Reject government overreach

Without our pharmaceutical industry, many Americans would not be alive today.

U.S. Capitol Building (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)

Our nation is a health care leader, and we must not let government overreach risk American biopharmaceutical innovation.

Some House congressional leaders in Washington, D.C. are currently trying to advance legislation that threatens the future research and development of new treatments and cures. For our seniors, for cancer patients, and for families with rare diseases awaiting the next medical breakthrough — this could be devastating.

H.R. 3 would allow government bureaucrats to decide the pricing of medications based on that of foreign governments. The impact of prescription price setting on medical innovation is significant, and in turn it would threaten Minnesotans’ health.

For example, while about 90 percent of new prescription drugs launched globally in the past 10 years are available in our country, that number falls to half in nations like Canada and France. We can’t afford to let the government interfere with our access to cutting edge treatments or arbitrarily pick winners and losers through anti-free market principles.

Without our pharmaceutical industry, many Americans would not be alive today. We cannot let government overreach risk future cures or hinder Minnesotans’ access to the medicines they need.

Paul Anderson, Minneapolis
Chair, CD5 Minnesota GOP

 

Alpha News Staff