Hospital chain Intermountain Healthcare is leading a industry consortium representing 450 hospitals in total in an initiative to manufacture their own generic drugs, either directly or through subcontractors.
The pharma industry is riddled with price-gougers and horror stories: the 1958 drug that was free and now costs $110K/yr, defective, overpriced epipens, Martin Fucking Shkreli, 1100% increases in insulin prices, a muscular dystrophy drug jumping from $1 to $89,000/dose, and more. Trump even put an insulin profiteer in charge of regulating drug prices.
Standing with Intermountain Healthcare is Ascension, SSM Health, and Trinity Health. The US Department of Veterans Affairs is also collaborating with the group. Together, they represent more than 450 hospitals across the country.In an interview with The New York Times, Intermountain Healthcare’s CEO, Dr. Marc Harrison, did not mince words. “This is a shot across the bow of the bad guys,” he said. “We are not going to lay down. We are going to go ahead and try and fix it.”
Peeved by price gouging and shortages, hospitals will now make their own drugs [Beth Mole/Ars Technica]