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Editor, The Beacon:
Did you know that there are currently more than 160 medicines in development for the treatment of diabetes and other related conditions?
As a Type 2 diabetic, my access to a healthy and full quality of life relies heavily on America’s biopharmaceutical industry and their commitment to investing in new research and development.
But there is an executive order being considered by President Trump, known as the most-favored-nation order, that could make it harder for me, and the many patients like me, to access the medicines we need.
Trump’s order would allow the prices of American medicines to be dictated by foreign bureaucrats via a system known as the International Pricing Index.
While this idea may sound tempting, especially to those who are looking for more affordable medicines, the truth is that the president’s order is shortsighted and would cause delays in treatment access for patients.
We can’t fix the issue of high drug costs by cutting access and limiting innovations.
There are better ways to make sure treatments and cures are accessible to those who need them.
But allowing foreign governments to decide when and how I can get the medicines I need flies in the face of American innovation.
I hope that President Trump ultimately decides against this order. We cannot risk a lack of innovation and access to care during a pandemic.
We should not slow our biopharmaceutical companies from finding the cures we desperately need.
Thomas Homan
Orange City
