Your New Book Is Pharma And Profits: Balancing Innovation, Medicine And Drug Pricing. What Is Most Often Overlooked In Political Discussions About Drug Prices?

THE MISCONCEPTIONS THAT EXIST WITH RESPECT TO THE COST OF NEW DRUGS AND THE PROFITS made by the biopharmaceutical industry are deeply disturbing, particularly for those involved in R&D. It is jaw-dropping to hear politicians claim that insulin is a 100-year-old drug being kept away from patients due to industry price gouging. It is appalling to listen to pundits opine that drug prices increase exorbitantly every year due to industry greed. In fact, none of this is true.

Pharma and Profits examines these issues as well as a number of others related to innovation, medicines, and drug prices, in order to explain to the general public the facts behind some of the most important work being done in healthcare today.

JOHN LAMATTINA is senior partner at PureTech Health.