Kasich, Trump Talk Prescription Drug Prices on the Campaign Trail
Talks of prescription drug prices are hitting the presidential campaign trail, while former Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli pleaded The Fifth during a congressional hearing on drug pricing in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.
During an interview on FOX Business Network’s “Countdown to the Closing Bell”, 2016 GOP presidential candidate and Ohio Governor John Kasich said government needs to take a look at the pharmaceutical industry.
“I believe the whole industry has to undergo a review,” he said. “I happen to believe that we probably are paying for things in research and development that the taxpayers already funded, that perhaps companies are marking up.”
Kasich added: “I like to have competition. I also don't understand why people in Europe can pay much lower prices for the same drugs we pay higher for, because we paid for the R&D. To me, that's a total rip off on us.”
On his 2016 campaign, Kasich said one of the keys to being successful is positivity.
“If you're all negative and you're not positive, then I don't know how you're going to put a coalition together and govern the country,” he said. “Winning an election and not being able to unite people is really false victory. So for us, we're going to continue to be positive. I mean if I get attacked I'll have to defend myself, but basically we're living on the sunny side of the street up here in New Hampshire.”