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• HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. says aluminum in vaccines may be a factor in a child developing a peanut allergy.
• Experts say Kennedy’s comments are not based on credible scientific evidence.
• Children are exposed to more aluminum throughout daily life than in vaccines.

Experts say there is no scientific proof to back up Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.’s assertion that aluminum in childhood vaccines is linked to peanut allergies in children.

At a leadership forum this week sponsored by the Food Allergy Fund, Kennedy said he didn’t believe that a lack of early exposure to peanuts was the cause of peanut allergies.

Instead, the Health Secretary suggested, aluminum in vaccines could be a potential factor. He stated that aluminum was introduced into vaccines about the same time as the increase in peanut allergies began, a claim disputed by experts.

Kennedy said his federal health agency is planning to conduct research into food allergies and its causes.

However, experts say Kennedy’s remarks are off base and could discourage parents from vaccinating their children.

“Aluminum has been made a villain for many years. There’s no science behind it,” said Danelle Fisher, MD, a pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. “You eat and breathe more aluminum in a day than you get in a vaccine.”

“There is no credible scientific evidence that aluminum in vaccines causes peanut or other food allergies,” added Inderpal Randhawa, MD, an allergist, immunologist, pediatrician, and the founder and chief executive officer of the Food Allergy Institute in Long Beach, CA.

“Aluminum has been part of the majority of pediatric and adult vaccines for more than eight decades,” Randhawa told Healthline. “If aluminum were the cause, food allergies should have been on a continuous rise for eight decades.”

Anne Liu, MD, a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at Stanford University in California, noted that there has been extensive research indicating that vaccines aren’t a factor in food allergies.

“There have been large studies on the topic of vaccinations and allergies, and none have found a credible association between vaccinations and increased risk of allergies, including food allergies,” she told Healthline.

Aluminum and childhood vaccines

Aluminum was first introduced into vaccines in 1926, more than 70 years before any increase in peanut allergies was detected.

The metal is used in vaccines as an adjuvant, a component that enhances the immune response to the vaccine. Adjuvants enable the use of smaller quantities of a vaccine and fewer doses.

Aluminum is the third most abundant element, after oxygen and silicon, on Earth. It is found in food, beverages, soil, health products, and various manufactured products, including airplanes.

It’s estimated that people typically ingest 7 to 9 milligrams (mg) of aluminum per day, a substance that the kidneys filter out.

By comparison, an infant will receive slightly more than 4 mg of aluminum from vaccines during their first six months of life. Breast milk and formula also contain trace amounts of aluminum.

“Aluminum is in our food, our soil. It’s everywhere,” Fisher told Healthline.

In fact, a study published in July, which included 1.2 million children born in Denmark between 1997 and 2018, concluded that exposure to aluminum through vaccines during the first two years of life was not associated with increased rates of any of the 50 disorders studied, including food allergies.

What to know about peanut allergies

An estimated 33 million people in the United States have a food allergy. That includes about 1 in 10 adults and 1 in 13 children.

About half of U.S. adults with food allergies report having had a severe reaction. Slightly more than 40% of children with food allergies have had severe reactions.

Reactions, which can include life threatening anaphylaxis attacks, occur when the body sees an allergen in a food as an intruder and attacks it.

Peanuts are one of the nine most common food allergies in the United States.

It’s estimated that approximately 2% of U.S. children may have a peanut allergy. As many as 20% of them outgrow the allergy as adults.

About 20 years ago, concerns were raised over a steady increase in peanut allergies.

A 2010 report revealed that the rate of peanut allergies in U.S. children had tripled between 1997 and 2008.

Due to these types of concerns, medical professionals have been advising parents to avoid giving infants foods that could cause an allergic reaction.

However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reported in 2008 that there was no convincing evidence that delaying food introductions to infants older than 6 months could prevent food allergies.

In 2015, a study from the LEAP clinical trial concluded that giving children foods containing peanuts before their first birthday significantly reduced their risk of developing a peanut allergy by the time they were 5 years old.

That research led to a reversal of the advice medical professionals had been giving parents in regards to food allergies.

Starting in 2017, the medical community began advising parents to gradually introduce peanuts into their infants’ diets.

Researchers say the strategy is working.

An October study found that childhood peanut allergies in the United States have declined since the implementation of early introduction strategies.

The researchers reported that during a two-year observation period, peanut allergy rates decreased from 0.92% before the guidelines to 0.67% afterward, representing a 27% reduction.

Liu said the results from this guidance change have been remarkable.

“We don’t often see such clear-cut results in clinical trials these days,” she said. “It is really incredible to see the fruits of that change in practice.”

Randhawa, however, cautions that early introduction isn’t a solution for all children. He noted that children without allergies don’t need to be given peanut products at an early age. He added that children with allergies are usually allergic to three or four foods, so peanut introduction doesn’t completely solve the problem.

“Attempting to solve for peanut alone does not mitigate the disease enough,” Randhawa said.

Potential causes of peanut allergies

Scientists aren’t certain what causes peanut allergies to develop. There are several theories, however. Among them:

• having other allergies
• a family history of peanut allergies
• an underdeveloped immune system
• a lack of vitamin D

Fisher agreed that the development of peanut allergies is complex, and it is often due to a variety of factors.

“It’s never as simple as A causes B,” she said.

“Peanut allergy is multifactorial,” added Randhawa. “Genetics, family history, skin factors such as eczema, and environmental factors such as pollen allergies all play a role in developing peanut allergy.”

Childhood vaccinations remain important

Fisher said she has counseled many parents on food allergies during her 24 years of practicing as a pediatrician. She stresses the importance of vaccines in helping prevent the spread of deadly diseases such as measles.

“If parents stop vaccinating their children, we are going to see a return of these diseases that we have the ability to protect our children from,” she said.

Randhawa and Liu agreed.

“Children who are not getting routine childhood immunizations are at risk for infections that should be preventable or at least made much milder with effective vaccinations,” Liu said.

“We will see a resurgence of serious infections if vaccination rates decline significantly,” added Randhawa. “Vaccines that contain aluminum protect against diseases like hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hib, pneumococcal disease, and HPV.”

“These infections are most dangerous for babies, pregnant people, the elderly, and those with immune problems,” Randhawa added. “When vaccination rates fall, we lose ‘community protection’ and these vulnerable groups pay the highest price.”

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As the weather turns colder and we close our windows and turn on our heating, there’s an invisible danger that can leak into our homes. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless gas that you cannot see, smell or taste – but it can kill.

• A recent study reports that exposure to light during sleep is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
• During sleep, ambient light contributes to brain stress that can cause arterial inflammation, which may lead to a heart attack or stroke.
• For an optimal sleeping environment, darker is better — but complete darkness is best.

A new study builds on existing evidence that sleeping in less than complete darkness can be detrimental to health, specifically damaging the cardiovascular system.

Sleeping while exposed to higher levels of light was associated with stress-related brain activity known to cause arterial inflammation throughout the body. Such inflammation raises the likelihood of a heart attack and stroke.

After 10 years, 17% of the study participants had developed major cardiovascular issues.

The authors found that as the amount of artificial light at night (LAN) exposure increased, so did the risk of eventual heart disease.

Each standard deviation upward in light was associated with a 35% increased likelihood of a heart attack over the following five years and a 22% increased risk over the next 10 years.

People who lived in areas characterized by elevated environmental or social stressors — including noise from traffic and lower neighborhood income levels — were at an even greater risk from LAN.

The study was presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2025, held from November 7 to 10 in New Orleans, LA. The findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Artificial light drives inflammation, cardiovascular disease

The study involved 466 adults who had received PET/CT brain imaging scans at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston between 2005 and 2008.

Participants’ median age was 55, and 43% were male. Nearly 90% of the participants were white, and just over 10% were non-white.

The scans were performed as routine imaging at the hospital. The CT scans revealed the anatomical details of the participants’ brains, while the PET scans recorded metabolic activity in their tissues.

None of the participants had heart disease or cancer at the time of their scans.

To measure the lighting conditions in each of the homes where participants had been sleeping, the study authors used data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite Day/Night Band aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite.

Radiative transfer modeling provided highly localized estimates of ground-level sky brightness based on the satellite data. (The modeling did not include natural starlight and moonlight.)

The new study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that sleeping in a dark environment is the healthiest way to sleep, said Jonathan Cedernaes, PhD, a sleep expert at Uppsala Universitet in Sweden, who wasn’t involved in the study.

“Both animal and human intervention studies have demonstrated that LAN can disrupt multiple neurophysiological systems, disrupting both metabolism and inflammation,” he told Healthline.

For instance, a 2022 study in which one group of participants slept in a typical room with light at around 100 lux (lx) — considered to be at the low end of average bedroom lighting — while another group slept in an even dimmer light of less than 3 lux.

The first group exhibited an increased heart rate, reduced deep sleep, and impaired insulin sensitivity, Cedernaes noted.

In a recent cohort study, he said, the same typical level of room light “was prospectively linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, such as myocardial infarction, underscoring the real-world relevance of such adverse exposures.”

How sleep quality affects heart health

Blue light from mobile screens is a well-known obstacle to sound sleep, but ambient light is also a contributor.

A 2022 meta-analysis of seven cross-sectional studies found that those with greater levels of LAN exposure — especially indoor — had a 22% greater risk of sleep problems.

Additionally, a 2014 study of 700 older individuals found a direct association between LAN and atherosclerosis, specifically increased intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery.

“Inflammation is a result of stress, and inflammation is a primary driver of atherosclerosis, and therefore heart disease and stroke,” said Jayne Morgan, MD, cardiologist and vice president of Medical Affairs for Hello Heart. Morgan wasn’t involved in the study.

“The heart and brain are interconnected, as what happens to the arteries of the heart is also occurring in the vessels of the brain,” she told Healthline.

“Those with brighter bedrooms (meaning more lights on at night) have shown higher rates of heart disease,” she said.

“Darkness signals the body to produce melatonin and decreases the body’s processes, including lowering blood pressure. The longer the lights are on at night, the more delayed is this healthy nighttime drop in blood pressure,” she said. “Additionally, your morning hormones spike later (cortisol, etc.),” Morgan continued.

Sleep quality duration is important for heart health. “Less than six hours of sleep has demonstrated a higher risk of heart disease,” Morgan said.

Tips for creating an optimal sleep environment

Here are a few ideas for creating an optimal darker sleeping environment:

• Cover your windows — If you have curtains or shades, close them tightly. If they do not block out external light, consider acquiring blackout curtains. A lower-cost alternative is to cover windows with aluminum foil to block light.
• Close the gap — The gap between your bedroom door and the rest of your home can leak considerable light into your sleeping area. Try turning out other lights beyond the door, or push a rolled-up towel against the gap to block unwanted light.
• Wear a sleep mask — Some people find sleeping with an eye mask comfortable, and, if the mask fits well, this can be an effective way to keep out light.

Lastly, since always-on nightlights increase unwanted light exposure, consider motion-sensing nightlights that turn on only as needed in your dark home.

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• New research says people are willing to make dietary changes to help with diabetes.
• However, they don’t always understand which type of diet is best for diabetes.
• Research indicates that a plant-based diet is better for diabetes than a low-carb diet.
• The best way to get started is with small changes, such as Meatless Mondays.
• Experts say it’s not necessary to be vegan to reap the benefits.

November is National Diabetes Month, and new research suggests that most Americans are open to making big dietary changes if it could help prevent or control this condition. 

A national poll conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Morning Consult found that 65% of U.S. adults would consider adopting a low-fat, plant-based diet if their doctor recommended it.

While many people know that eating more vegetables and fruits can lower diabetes risk, far fewer are aware that a low fat, plant-based eating pattern — rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans — can help prevent or even reverse the disease. 

In fact, only about 1 in 5 respondents recognized this connection.

People open to diet change but may not know what’s best

The poll surveyed 2,203 U.S. adults, aiming to assess awareness of dietary approaches to type 2 diabetes prevention and management, as well as openness to trying plant-based eating patterns. 

Respondents were asked about their knowledge of the role of fruits, vegetables, and plant-based diets in reducing diabetes risk, and about their willingness to adopt such diets if recommended by their physicians.

Among respondents whose healthcare providers had discussed type 2 diabetes with them, 57% knew that high vegetable intake can lower their risk, and 34% were aware that high fruit intake can do the same. 

However, only 21% recognized that a low-fat, plant-based diet could help prevent or improve type 2 diabetes.

The poll also revealed a striking misconception: half of the adults who had spoken with their doctors about diabetes believed that a low-carbohydrate diet is the best approach. 

Plant-based diet helps lower diabetes risk

Research cited by the Physicians Committee indicates that low-carb diets based on animal products are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. 

Specifically, diets emphasizing animal protein and saturated and trans fats were linked to a 35% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and that risk rose to 39% if the diet also minimized whole grain intake.

Physicians Committee experts explain that eating less of certain types of fat — especially from animal products, fried foods, and oils — allows insulin to work more effectively. 

In type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance occurs when fat accumulates inside muscle and liver cells, preventing glucose from moving out of the bloodstream and into cells where it is used for energy. This fat buildup is a key driver of elevated blood sugar levels.

Blood sugar spikes cause insulin surges and high insulin (hyperinsulinemia) over time, which can make cells more insulin-resistant and drive up high blood sugar even more.

Decades of clinical research show that low-fat, plant-based diets that do not restrict healthy carbohydrates can be beneficial for those with type 2 diabetes. However, for the reasons outlined above, refined and processed carbs can actually have the opposite effect, and should be avoided.

In one 22-week study, 99 participants followed either a low-fat vegan diet without calorie or unprocessed carbohydrate limits, or the American Diabetes Association’s standard recommended diet. 

Results showed that 43% of the vegan group were able to reduce or discontinue their diabetes medications, compared with only 26% of the ADA group. 

The vegan group also experienced greater improvements in body weight, HbA1c (a measure of blood sugar control), and LDL cholesterol.

Another study by the Physicians Committee measured intracellular fat levels in liver and muscle cells. 

After 16 weeks on a low-fat vegan diet, liver cell fat dropped by 34.4%, and muscle cell fat decreased by 10.4%. 

These reductions corresponded with improved insulin sensitivity, suggesting that this dietary approach can address the root cause of type 2 diabetes.

How to get started with a plant-based diet

The poll also looked at what resources people would need to succeed with a plant-based diet. Nearly half of respondents said having access to an online recipe hub or regular guidance from a dietitian would be “very helpful.”

To meet this need, the Physicians Committee offers the National Diabetes Program, a free online support group that provides education from doctors and dietitians on foods to focus on and avoid, meal ideas, grocery tips, dining out strategies, and answers to common nutrition questions.

Additionally, the organization’s Food for Life plant-based nutrition and cooking classes — developed by physicians and dietitians — are available nationwide to teach people how to prevent, improve, and in some cases, reverse type 2 diabetes through a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans.

However, you don’t have to join a support group or attend a class to get started on a plant-based diet, says Dawn Menning, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist with Nutu, a healthy lifestyle app.

A simple way to add more plant-based foods into your life is by trying Meatless Monday once a week, and then gradually adding in more days.

“Search for vegetarian recipes that are easy to prepare and sound appealing to you and others in your household,” she said.

Menning suggested choosing ingredients and flavors that you already know you enjoy. “Vegetables don’t have to be boring!” she emphasized.

You also ease into a plant-based lifestyle by replacing one animal product at a time. For example, try soy or almond milk as a simple substitute for cow’s milk.

And, of course, you want to add more plants to your meals, such as vegetables, legumes, and nuts.

“Gradually shift away from animal foods and make plants the star of the meal,” said Menning.

OK to have animal protein in moderation

When many people think of plant-based diets, their mind automatically goes to a vegan diet, which is 100% free of any animal products.

However, Melanie Murphy Richter, a registered dietitian nutritionist with L-Nutra, said that it’s not necessary to go vegan to reap the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Eating too much animal protein, especially red and processed meats, can elevate IGF-1, a growth factor linked with accelerated cellular aging and higher diabetes risk, she explained.

“At the same time, protein itself is metabolically important because it supports satiety and helps stabilize blood glucose when consumed in appropriate amounts,” said Richter.

“Finding the right balance by prioritizing plant proteins like beans, lentils, or nuts, and using smaller portions of high-quality animal sources such as fish and sustainably grown, lean meats, can help protect both metabolic and hormonal health,” she concluded.

• Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have agreed to sell their weight-loss drugs, Wegovy and Zepbound, through the new TrumpRx program.
• The portal site is expected to launch in early 2026 and will provide consumers the ability to buy prescription drugs directly from manufacturers at reduced prices.
• Experts say that most prescription medications will likely remain more affordable to consumers through traditional health insurance plans.

TrumpRx, the White House’s new prescription drug pricing program, will connect consumers to pharmaceutical companies that will sell certain prescription medications at significantly reduced prices.

Consumers who don’t have or don’t want to use health insurance to pay for these prescription drugs can purchase them directly from the pharmaceutical companies.

The White House has already signed deals with Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, and Novo Nordisk to sell medications at reduced prices.

Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk will make their weight loss drugs Zepbound and Wegovy available through the TrumpRx platform.

TrumpRx is expected to launch in early 2026; however, experts say that most Americans will likely not benefit from the prescription drug cost-reduction program. Here’s what you need to know.

Will TrumpRx lower out-of-pocket costs?

Trump’s prescription drug pricing program may provide some benefits, particularly that weight-loss drugs will be available to people whose health insurance doesn’t cover these medications.

“These medications are usually costly to pay for out of pocket, so any savings passed on to patients are beneficial,” said Kanwar Kelley, MD, a specialist in otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine, and co-founder and chief executive officer of Side Health in Orinda, CA.

“This new program lays out a pathway for both medical use of these therapies and lower costs for patients seeking more general weight loss,” added Kevin Schulman, MD, a professor of medicine at Stanford University.

Nevertheless, experts suggest that most consumers will likely find it more cost-effective to purchase prescription medications through traditional health insurance plans.

“Though prices may be lowered for Americans who do not use insurance, the TrumpRx program likely will not influence most Americans,” Kelley told Healthline.

“The TrumpRx platform focuses on cash-pay deals that can be found on the manufacturer’s website. Although organizing the information may make the public more aware of better prices, most will likely default to using their insurance to pay for the medication.”

“Most people with insurance are likely to continue to pay lower out-of-pocket costs getting their drugs under their insurance than buying directly from a manufacturer,” added Juliette Cubanski, PhD, MPH, the deputy director of the Program on Medicare Policy for the research organization KFF.

“Some people without insurance, or who don’t have coverage for specific medications, might be able to secure lower pricing on certain medications, but for most Americans, it’s probably not a long-term solution to the affordability challenges they face when it comes to prescription drugs,” Cubanski told Healthline.  

Experts also point out that, at least initially, a limited number of prescription medications will be available through TrumpRx.

“It’s highly doubtful that all of the drugs people take will be for sale through this channel,” Cubanski said.

“TrumpRx focuses on select medications from specific manufacturers, rather than all pharmaceuticals,” Kelley said.

Kelley added that other issues, including the duration of medication availability through TrumpRx, need to be resolved. He said that medications purchased through the White House website are unlikely to be counted toward deductibles or out-of-pocket payment limits.

“Overall, the plan is ambitious, but most, if any, benefits will have to be determined after it is functioning,” Kelley said.

Savings expected from Pfizer, other pharmaceuticals

The TrumpRx program will essentially serve as a portal connecting consumers with the websites of pharmaceutical companies.

Consumers will be able to log into the site and search for prescription medications that are available under the program. The doctor’s prescription would need to be verified through the site.

The website is part of a broader initiative the Trump administration says is aimed at bringing prices paid by U.S. consumers more in line with those paid in other developed countries. They include this endeavor under their most-favored-nation pricing programs.

In exchange, pharmaceutical companies get access to a wider audience for their products. They are also exempt for three years from tariffs that the White House plans to levy against pharmaceutical companies.

At least four pharmaceutical companies have agreed to participate so far.

In September, White House officials announced that Pfizer had signed a contract to sell its medications directly to consumers at reduced prices through the TrumpRx portal.

In a statement, Pfizer officials said “primary care treatments and some select specialty brands will be offered at savings that will range as high as 85% and on average 50%.” They added that specific terms of the agreement remain confidential.

“By working closely with the administration, we are lowering costs for patients and enabling greater investment in the U.S. biopharmaceutical ecosystem by ending the days when American families alone carried the global burden of paying for innovation,” said Albert Bourla, chairman and chief executive officer of Pfizer, in the statement.

Weight loss drugs at discounted prices

In October, AstraZeneca reached a similar agreement to sell prescription medications through TrumpRx.

In a statement, officials at AstraZeneca, which is based in the United Kingdom, said their prescription medication prices on TrumpRx will be reduced by as much as 80%.

They said their drugs for sale via TrumpRx will include inhalers such as Bevespi Aerosphere for people with COPD and Airsupra for people with asthma. AstraZeneca officials also announced plans to expand drug manufacturing and research in the United States.

Last week, President Donald Trump announced that his administration had also reached an agreement with Eli Lilly to sell its weight-loss drug, Zepbound, as well as an arrangement with Novo Nordisk to sell its weight-loss medication Wegovy.

In a statement, White House officials said the price for Wegovy will fall from between $1,000 and $1,350 per month to $350 for purchases through TrumpRx. They said the price for Zepbound would drop from $1,086 per month to $346 per month.

In addition, the White House said that under this deal:

• Eli Lilly will offer Emgality — a treatment for migraine — at $299 per pen, a discount of $443 off the list price.
• Eli Lilly will offer Trulicity, a commonly used diabetes medication, at $389 per month, a discount of $598 off the list price.
• Novo Nordisk will offer widely used insulin products, including NovoLog and Tresiba, at a monthly supply cost of $35.

The White House added that “the agreement also provides that Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk will guarantee [most favored nation] prices on all new medicines that they bring to market.”

Experts said that while lower prices might bring relief to some consumers, many people may still be unable to afford these medications.

“These drugs have high price tags and, for many people, the cost has placed them out of reach,” Cubanski said. “Even at discounted prices of $150 or $250 or $350 through the TrumpRx website, these drugs will remain unaffordable for many people without insurance coverage.”

Experts noted that the TrumpRx deals may encourage pharmaceutical companies to continue negotiating lower drug prices.

“Hopefully, this negotiation will be a step in addressing the larger issue of the pharmaceutical prices in the U.S. market,” Schulman told Healthline.

“Targeting high-profile medications may signal that pharmaceutical companies are willing to discuss other medications for significant price reductions,” Kelley said.

TrumpRx not a solution to high drug prices

Pharmaceutical companies have been entering into agreements with retailers to sell prescription drugs through their pharmacies.

In early October, Costco signed a pact with Novo Nordisk to offer Wegovy and its other weight loss drug, Ozempic, to consumers.

A few weeks later, Walmart announced an arrangement with Eli Lilly to sell Zepbound to its customers.

The TrumpRx plan is separate from a program initiated by the Biden Administration in 2022 to allow Medicare officials to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies.

It also differs from the Cost Plus website launched in 2022 by entrepreneur Mark Cuban. That site sells generic prescription drugs at discounted prices. Consumers buy products from Cost Plus, not the pharmaceutical companies. The prices have been negotiated by Cost Plus with those companies.

However, experts say these programs and the TrumpRx plan still aren’t enough to address the overall problem in the United States of high prescription drug prices.

“Direct-to-consumer drug sales are not likely to be the solution to high drug prices for most patients in the U.S.,” said Cubanski. “For most Americans, [the TrumpRx program] is probably not a long-term solution to the affordability challenges they face when it comes to prescription drugs.”

Officials at America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a national trade association representing 1,300 health insurance companies, are particularly critical of prescription drug prices.

“As drug makers relentlessly lobby for a blank check to keep overcharging Americans, continued bipartisan action to lower drug prices is critical — including common sense reforms to stop drugmakers’ abuse of the patent system, restore competition, and move toward pricing based on clinical value and not on the lavish tax-deductible marketing campaigns brand drug makers use to drive up consumer demand for high-priced drugs and raise costs for everyone,” an AHIP spokesperson said in a statement shared with Healthline.