Readers React: With drug company lobbyists in Washington, don’t expect relief on prices

To the editor: Something must be done to control the price of drugs. One would think that the drug giants would be proud of their medicines and the good they do — and they probably are. But as David Lazarus shows in his column on the major price increase for a drug used to treat a typical ear infection suffered by children, they are more driven by obscene profit. (“Martin Shkreli isn’t alone in ripping off patients with crazy drug prices,” Feb. 4)

Yes, it is difficult to get a new drug on the market. Research is expensive, and a reasonable amount should be charged for new and improved drugs. But a company increasing the price of 40-year-old ear-infection drug from $10 to $200 — “because it can” — is ridiculous.

Lazarus wants Medicare to be able to negotiate with Big Pharma. That won’t happen. Its lobbyists are all over Washington, and members of Congress will never curtail profits for companies that are supporting their re-election bids.

As much as I appreciate Lazarus’ reporting, this is a lost cause.

Chuck Rinaldi, Huntington Beach

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To the editor: People who insist price controls would stifle innovation are wrong. According to California Health Advocates, “half of the scientifically innovative drugs approved in the U.S. from 1998 to 2007 resulted from research at universities and biotech firms, not big drug companies.”

In contrast, drug companies have spent their millions in recent years on increased lobbying. According to Roll Call, in the first quarter of 2014, “five pharmaceutical companies have reported million-dollar increases in their spending on lobbying the federal government.”

As Lazarus suggests, the first step should be repealing the federal law that prohibits Medicare recipients from getting the same deals as Department of Veterans Affairs and Medicaid enrollees.

Teddy Snyder, Sherman Oaks

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To the editor: Lazarus disregards the principles of free-market capitalism.

“Pharmaceutical companies are crawling with profit seekers preying on the sick,” he says. Isn’t that their job, to maximize shareholder value while meeting the market demand for their products?

Lazarus isn’t anti-Big Pharma, he’s anti-capitalism.

John C. Diebel, Newport Beach

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