Presentations by Matthew Rimmer and Charles Lawson were of particular cogency.
The abstract for my presentation on 'Access To Essential Medicines After The Trumpocalypse: Regulatory Incoherence, Incapacity and Resistance' is
Recent statements by US President Trump embody a regulatory incoherence regarding the development, marketing and pricing of essential medicines in the United States. That incoherence is likely to be reinforced by regulatory incapacity through cuts to the US Food & Drug Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Trade Commission.
The presentation suggests that the White House’s objectives in the US market – cheaper drugs for US consumers, lower costs for health service providers, increased return on investment for major and emerging US drug companies – are unachievable in the next four years. Erosion of the institutional capacity of regulators is likely to affect public health within the US and elsewhere beyond Trump’s time in office. Resistance at the national and international level over the coming decade offers a basis for building a more just global pharmaceutical access regime.
