September 11, 2026
TOPLINE
In case you missed it, the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing (CSRxP) recently released an analysis examining how the ten largest pharmaceutical companies by U.S. revenue allocate each dollar of their revenue.
Using U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission data for calendar year 2025, CSRxP’s updated “Big Pharma Dollar” analysis found that brand name pharmaceutical manufacturers spend three times more on profits, advertising and corporate overhead than they invest in research and development (R&D). More than 80 cents of every dollar in Big Pharma revenue goes toward something other than researching and developing new treatments.
Coverage of the analysis last week in POLITICO noted, “Out of every dollar, the analysis found that the top 10 largest brand-name pharmaceutical manufacturers spend 19 cents on advertising, selling, general and administrative costs; 9 cents on corporate overhead; 18 cents on research and development; 25 cents on production costs; and 4 cents on taxes. The remaining 25 cents goes toward profits, which includes money spent on shareholder dividends and stock buybacks, as well as profits banked by the company.” Read more on the analysis HERE and HERE.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Simply put: Generic medicines save money. Generics and biosimilars are the only sector that consistently results in decreased spending across the U.S. healthcare ecosystem.”
-John Murphy III, President and CEO of AAM
DATA POINTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
$25.4 Billion
The amount of savings generated from biosimilar drugs in 2025, according to a report from the Association of Accessible Medicines.
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
@P4ADNOW: “Big Pharma says high drug prices are necessary to fund innovation. The numbers tell a different story. New analysis from the @RxPricing exposes that the 10 largest brand-name pharmaceutical manufacturers spend more than 80 cents of every dollar of revenue on something other than drug research and development. Americans are paying the highest prescription drug prices in the world because of the pharmaceutical industry. It’s time to stop accepting the status quo. If you want to use your story with high cost prescription drugs to create policy change, join our community today: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/base-story-share-c3”
@AccessibleMeds: “JUST RELEASED! The 2026 U.S. Generic & Biosimilar Medicines Savings Report shows $3.6 TRILLION of savings in the last decade, positioning lower-cost prescription options as a force of strength and security for the U.S. healthcare ecosystem and the economy. Access the full report to learn how Generic & Biosimilar Medicines are Driving America FORWARD! https://accessiblemeds.org/resources/reports/2026-savings-report/”
ROAD TO RECOVERY
The Daily Record: Big Pharma’s Patent Games Are Costing Patients. Congress Must Act
As a physician pathologist, I have spent my career looking closely at what lies beneath the surface. When we do the same with the high price of prescription drugs, one culprit becomes impossible to ignore: Big Pharma’s abuse of the patent system. Brand-name manufacturers set their product prices, and patent abuse gives them the power to raise those prices while blocking competition from more affordable alternatives… As president of MedChi, I represent physicians across Maryland who want their patients to receive the treatments they need. We value the scientists and companies responsible for developing new cures and therapies. But respect for innovation does not require silence when the patent system is exploited to keep affordable competitors off the market… The patent system should serve innovation and the public good, not become a tool for extending monopolies long after the original bargain has run its course.
The Washington Examiner: It’s Time For Congress To End Big Pharma’s War On Generics
Each day, millions of people pick up a prescription drug from their local pharmacy or mailbox. Most are affordable, with co-pays on average less than $7 for 90% of drugs. But for a growing number of patients, and the employers, unions, or programs such as Medicare that provide their drug coverage, the cost of some life-saving brand drugs is staggering. The brand drug lobby tells us these sky-high prices are a necessity of the remarkable innovation we enjoy in healthcare. And make no mistake, that innovation is important. But as a growing amount of research shows, for many drugs this is an illusion. The high prices are part of Big Pharma’s masterclass in patent loopholes and legal maneuvering. They are waging a war on generic drug competition and artificially keeping prices too high for too long for too many.
The Pharma Letter: US Generic And Biosimilar Meds Save $496B In Just 1 Year
The US Association for Accessible Medicines and the Biosimilars Council today released the 2026 US Generic & Biosimilar Medicines Savings Report - Forward for America. AAM’s annual savings report highlights that generic and biosimilar medicines created $496 billion in savings in 2025 for patients and the overall healthcare system. Generics and biosimilars have saved over $3.6 trillion in the last decade, the trade groups noted.
PHARMA’S POOR PROGNOSIS
STAT News: The Gifts From Pharma Companies That Keep On Giving
For years, drugmakers have offered free meals, samples, gifts, and speaking fees to physicians, a widely studied issue due to concerns such largesse may unduly influence prescribing habits. But to what extent have interactions between doctors and pharmaceutical representatives changed behaviors over time? A new analysis attempts to provide some answers. A group of researchers surveyed 283 physicians who were among more than 1,300 medical students and residents queried in 2011. They compared the responses to an updated effort that was undertaken two years ago, and the results suggest the topic is likely to remain contentious.
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