Full Conversation- America's Drug Price Nightmare: Public Production Can Save Lives

The F Word with Laura Flanders

Pharmaceutical prices in the US are astronomically high and many vulnerable people can’t afford the drugs they need. Public ownership of drug manufacturing can break the private monopolies and save lives, but it’s going to take a lot of public pressure to make change. Today, we look at the progress that’s being made to tackle America’s killer drug price problem at the state, national and global level. The Biden administration’s agreement with manufacturer Eli Lilly to cap insulin prices at $35/dose is a step, but what would really make a difference would be to get private profit and monopoly patents out of the health business altogether. In the US, California is taking the lead. Advocates Dana Brown, Luis Gil Abinader and Kevin Wren join Laura to bring us an update – and in her closing, Laura shares some news about the impact of our investigative series from North Carolina. Guests: •Dana Brown: Director, Health & Economy, The Democracy Collaborative •Luis Gil Abinader: Legal Scholar; Fellow, Georgetown University Law O'Neill Institute; Board Member, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) •Kevin Wren: Queer Activist & Patient Advocate Chapter Leader, California #insulin4all; T1 International; Queer Activist & Patient Advocate, MA Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, University of Washington