The key challenge is that the government has so grossly distorted the market, on multiple dimensions, that the actual levers within the pharma vertical are opaq

The key challenge is that the government has so grossly distorted the market, on multiple dimensions, that the actual levers within the pharma vertical are opaque to all but the most embedded incumbents. (economists refer to these as hidden externalities). These market-distortions have all but eliminated the natural cost-competition that one would observe in other sectors, such as commodities or manufacturing. The best thing the government can do is back off completely and make those pharma companies REALLY sharpen their pencils. For those of you who believe MORE regulation is the way out, that's called "trying to dig your way out of a hole" or "repeating the same nonsense and expecting a different outcome." Please challenge your beliefs.