Pfizer and Merck are raising drug prices again, showing that their price cuts were just a sham to mo
By MICHAEL HILTZIK
DEC 06, 2018 | 6:05 AM
Its hard to believe that anyone was taken in this summer when a handful of drug companies announced rollbacks of price increases or price freezes on some of their drugs, ostensibly in response to jawboning by President Trump.
The Washington Post, in a piece republished by The Times, declared that Pfizers July 10 announcement that it would hold off on already scheduled price hikes was a successful use of the bully pulpit for Trump and a relatively rapid concession by one of the country's largest companies.
Trump himself bought into the narrative, and why not, since it made him look like a hero. Great news for the American people! he tweeted after Pfizers announcement.
You can probably tell whats coming. Pfizer is moving ahead with price increases, as is Merck, one of the other drugmakers that staged a theatrical price rollback. In both cases, theyre exploiting loopholes that were really no secret.
More:
https://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-drug-prices-20181206-story.html