In case you missed it, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called for reining in Big Pharma’s
direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs during a recent
interview on “Special Report with Bret Baier” on The Fox News Channel.





 

May 16, 2025



TOPLINE



In case you missed it, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called for reining in Big Pharma’s
direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs during a recent
interview <[link removed]> on “Special Report with
Bret Baier” on The Fox News Channel.



“I met with pharmaceutical companies yesterday and had a very frank discussion
with them on ways to limit TV commercials,” Kennedy said. “When you advertise a
pharmaceutical product, it’s the government that is the one most likely going
to pay for that product… you get a tax deduction to put that ad on TV, so that
federal taxpayers are paying for the ad, then they’re paying for the product.”



“We’re the only nation in the world that allows that kind of advertising on
TV,” Kennedy continued. “We’re a complete outlier. There’s one other country
like New Zealand that allows limited [DTC advertising] but nothing like we do.”



Earlier this year, The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing (CSRxP) released an
analysis
<[link removed]>
that found taxing or prohibiting DTC ads for the ten largest pharmaceutical
companies in the U.S. would result in increased federal tax revenue between
$1.5 and $1.7 billion per year. Read the full analysisHERE
<[link removed]>
.



QUOTE OF THE WEEK



“[Big Pharma companies are] usually advertising [brand-name drugs] because
they want to bury the existence and the availability of generic drugs that are
much cheaper and equally effective. The consumer is spending not his own money,
but most often ... taxpayer money. Furthermore, the pharmaceutical ads are
getting tax deductions, so we are funding it."



- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS)
<[link removed]>



DATA POINTS YOU SHOULD KNOW



$805.9 Billion



The total pharmaceutical expenditures in the United States in 2024, a 10.2
percent increase compared to 2023, according to areport
<[link removed]>
from the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.



TWEETS OF THE WEEK



@realtahiramin <[link removed]>:
“Between 2020-2024, Novo Nordisk spent 41% more on shareholder enrichment
(buybacks and dividends) than it did on R&D.”



@DavidArmstrongX <[link removed]>:
“I have written many healthcare stories, but none about my own health until
now. I decided to do so after learning one of my drugs costs nearly $1,000 a
pill and just 25 cents to make. What I found was an incredible story of
discovery and exploitation.
[link removed]

<[link removed]>
”



ROAD TO RECOVERY



Inside Health Policy: Kennedy Backs Senators’ Bipartisan Push To End Pharma Ad
Tax Breaks
<[link removed]>



HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday endorsed bipartisan
legislation to strip pharmaceutical companies of tax breaks for direct to
consumer (DTC) television advertising on prescription drugs, calling the
practice “insidious” and a misuse of taxpayer dollars. Kennedy said his office
is preparing a broader policy proposal on banning drug advertising and expects
to release it “in the next few weeks.” Testifying before the Senate health
committee Wednesday (May 14), Kennedy said drug ads drive patients toward
expensive branded medications over generics while the companies are subsidized
twice by taxpayers -- through Medicare and Medicaid spending and via
tax-deductible advertising expenses. “We are funding it,” Kennedy said. “The
consumer is spending not his own money (to pay for drugs), and most often our
money.”



Inside Health Policy: RFK Jr. Pushes DTC Ad Limits In ‘Frank Discussion’ With
Drugmakers
<[link removed]>



HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met this week with leaders of
pharmaceutical companies for what he described as a “very frank discussion”
about reining in direct-to-consumer (DTC) television advertising of
prescription drugs. While Kennedy did not announce formal regulatory steps, his
comments signal a potential policy shift at HHS and hint at possible
collaboration with Congress to restrict or eliminate tax breaks for DTC
advertising. “I had a very frank discussion with them about ways to limit TV
commercials,” Kennedy said in an interview with Bret Baier on Fox News Thursday
(May 8). “When you advertise a pharmaceutical product, and the government is
the one most likely to pay for it, you're essentially asking taxpayers to foot
the bill for ads and for the product itself.”



Inside Radio: Lawmakers Seek To Curb Big Pharma’s Tax Write-Offs For Ads.
<[link removed]>



There is a new effort in Congress to end the tax deduction for expenses
related to direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs on radio,
television and other media. The bill’s sponsors say it is driving up health
care costs, by promoting “inappropriate” prescribing practices, and increasing
unneeded spending on medications… The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing
estimates that prohibiting pharmaceutical advertising could increase federal
tax revenues by $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion annually from 10 of the largest
pharmaceutical companies operating in the U.S.



Inside Health Policy: CSRxP Statement On President Trump’s Most Favored Nation
Executive Order
<[link removed]>



The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing (CSRxP) issued the following statement
on Tuesday on President Trump's signing of an executive order titled
“Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American
Patients.” “CSRxP appreciates President Trump’s commitment to lowering
prescription drug prices in America, and for rightly diagnosing the egregious
prices set by Big Pharma as the root cause of the problem,” said CSRxP
spokesman Jon Conradi.



PHARMA’S POOR PROGNOSIS



Bloomberg Law: Merck’s New Keytruda Shot Is A Rare Real-Time ‘Product Hop’
<[link removed]>



Merck & Co.‘s planned debut this fall of an injectable form of its
breakthrough cancer treatment Keytruda will simplify care, expand access, and
save more lives, the company says. But by shifting patients to a version
protected by newer patents, it will also extend Merck’s control over the
world’s best-selling drug. Merck is performing a sleight-of-hand known as a
“product hop” by tweaking how the drug is delivered. The pivot will preserve
its exclusivity and could box out lower-cost rivals for Keytruda, which last
year made $29.5 billion globally. “Product hopping is not something companies
do without a good reason,” said Anna Kaltenboeck, a health economist who’s
worked on pharmaceutical pricing and market access strategies. “And that reason
is usually financial.”



###



























Copyright © 2019 Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing
Our address is 1341 G St NW, #1100, Washington, DC xxxxxx


This email was sent to [email protected]. To unsubscribe please click
here.
<[link removed]>