Big Pharma’s Bad Monday

Everyone from Sen. Bernie Sanders onward has been piling on this week. And it’s only Monday.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders speaking with attendees at the 2019 California Democratic Party State Convention at the George R. Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California. June 2, 2019. (Photo: Gage Skidmore)

With his usual eyebrow-raising level of frankness, Sen. Bernie Sanders unloaded on “greedy pharma firms,” today in a damning op-ed published by FOX News.

“Greedy pharma firms rip off Americans while Pfizer, Moderna swim in profits,” Sanders began furiously.

“5 of the largest US pharma firms totaled $80 billion in profits, but millions of Americans can’t afford medicine,” Sanders lamented before plowing on.

“All over this country, the American people are asking why it is that they pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs?” continued the perennially outspoken Senator from Vermont, who has become a sort of folk hero among many progressives.

“Why is it that nearly one out of every four adults in America cannot afford their prescription medication?” Sen. Sanders asked pointedly. “Why do nearly half of all new drugs in the United States cost more than $150,000 a year?”

“Examples of corporate greed within the pharmaceutical industry are limitless,” Sanders stormed. “Let’s start with Moderna. This is a company that received $1.7 billion from U.S. taxpayers to research and develop the COVID-19 vaccine and billions more to distribute it to the American people.”