Bernie Sanders Opposes NIH and FDA Nominees Over Prescription Drug Costs

Opposition to Nominees

• ❌ Senator Bernie Sanders announces his vote against the nominations for Director of the NIH and Commissioner of the FDA.
• 💡 While acknowledging the significant medical research funded by the NIH, Sanders argues that breakthroughs are meaningless if unaffordable.

Prescription Drug Affordability Crisis

• 💊 Americans pay significantly more, in some cases 10 times more, for the same prescription drugs available in other countries like Canada.
• 💸 Despite taxpayers funding billions in research and development, pharmaceutical companies charge sky-high prices for new treatments.
• 📊 A committee report found the average price of new NIH-invented treatments over 20 years is $111,000 per treatment.

Role of NIH and FDA

• 🔬 The NIH, with a $48 billion budget, is the world's largest funder of medical research, leading to life-improving treatments.
• ⚖️ The FDA's mission includes making medical products safer, more effective, and crucially, more affordable.
• ⚠️ Sanders believes the NIH director nominee is not prepared to confront the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and lower drug prices.
• 📉 He will also oppose the FDA nominee due to the ongoing issue of millions of Americans being unable to afford treatments.