Senate panel grills pharmaceutical CEOs on drug prices: ‘You bear a measure of responsibility'

US senators and pharmaceutical CEOs recently participated in a hearing about the high prices of prescription drugs in the United States compared to other countries. The CEOs of Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Bristol Myers Squibb testified, acknowledging the price differences but explaining that the US healthcare system and innovation come with high costs. Senators highlighted examples of medications that cost significantly less in other nations and questioned the CEOs about the affordability of drugs in the US. The hearing took place as the Biden administration began Medicare drug price negotiations and aimed to address concerns about the lack of government regulation on drug prices in the US.