Vice President Kamala Harris is likely on her way to becoming the Democratic presidential nominee now that President Joe Biden is dropping out of the race. Harris has already won endorsements from not the president and many political heavy hitters, and her campaign swept in a record-breaking $81 million in donations during a 24-hour period this week.
If she ultimately prevails in November, what could a Kamala Harris administration mean for pharma? Her record, public comments and career follow a familiar trajectory for many Democratic lawmakers.
The pharma industry has long been accused of holding sway in Congress, with companies and lobbying groups giving around $1.6 million to lawmakers during the first six months of 2021, according to a KFF Health News report. Since 2008, more pharma lobbyist cash has generally been directed toward Republicans. But during her first presidential bid in 2020, Harris raked in thousands of dollars of donations from pharma companies, according to a report from The Intercept. Her campaign had previously told CNN that she didn’t take “any money from pharmaceutical executives.” While she returned some of the money, including a $2,700 donation from an executive at Pharmaceutics International, records showed there were donations from other executives from Pfizer, Vertex and others, The Intercept reported.
Still, Harris has shown support for drug pricing reform and took a hard line in several suits against pharma companies during her tenure as attorney general in California. After a handful of billion-dollar-plus settlements with drugmakers, California won $46 million from GSK for illegal marketing and drug pricing, $89 million from Johnson & Jonson and Janssen Pharma over unlawful marketing practice and $23.6 million from McKesson for inflated drug prices.
Here’s what else Harris’ record and public comments reveal about where she stands on three important issues for pharma.
Medicare drug price negotiations
Harris played a pivotal role in the Biden Administration passing the Inflation Reduction Act by casting the “tie breaking vote” for the law in the Senate.
Much to the ire of many in the pharma industry, the IRA empowers the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to negotiate prices of certain drugs covered by Medicare. And with the first wave of 10 drugs currently in negotiations between the government and drugmakers, implementation shows no signs of slowing down despite several legal challenges from pharma companies.
In general, Harris has demonstrated a willingness throughout her career to support measures that address drug costs.
“When I was attorney general of California, I met countless families quietly suffering because they or a loved one couldn't afford the medication they needed and were prescribed,” she said last year. “I investigated drug makers that tried to stop production of cheaper generic versions of their drugs, and we held them accountable.”
In addition, when Harris ran in the 2020 presidential primary election, she published a Medicare for All plan that would specifically allow HHS to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices.
Out-of-pocket costs
The IRA also created new out-of-pocket caps for seniors on Medicare Part D plans. In May,she stated she intended to expand cost caps beyond Medicare recipients.
“President Biden and I took on Big Pharma and capped the cost of insulin at $35 and the annual cost of prescription medication for seniors at $2,000 a year,” she said on Facebook on May 19. “When we win reelection, we will cap these costs for everyone.”
Harris also previously supported leveraging march-in rights to lower drug prices, a controversial provision that would allow the government to take control of certain patents.
The Biden administration then stated it could implement march-in rights late last year, but has yet to leverage that authority.
Abortion and women’s health
Since The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Harris has made herself a central figure in the fight for women’s healthcare and abortion access, including abortion medication. She launched the Reproductive Freedom Tour last year to argue against abortion bans at public rallies.
Earlier this year, when CVS and Walgreens announced they would dispense mifepristone, one of two drugs commonly used for medication abortions, Harris noted the move was an “important step” to ensure women have necessary healthcare access.
Since announcing her campaign, she has been endorsed by Emily’s List, an abortion rights lobbying group.
“In a moment when Republicans have launched a full-scale attack on our reproductive rights, an issue that will be the driving force for Democratic wins, Vice President Harris is our most powerful advocate and messenger on this issue,” Emily’s List President Jessica Mackler said in a statement.
