Statement from Former Rep. Larry Bucshon, MD, in Response to Trump Administration Executive Order

April 18, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease released the following statement on behalf of PFCD policy adviser and former Representative Larry Bucshon, MD, in response to the Trump Administration’s executive order:

“With one signature, President Donald Trump potentially did more for U.S. health care than another person in the Oval Office might in a year. The executive order he signed this week showed great pulse and clear direction on several issues influencing the quality and accessibility of patient care, many of which directly impact my older friends on Medicare.

“As a cardiothoracic surgeon, I appreciate medicine’s power to improve health outcomes. I also recognize the many environmental and lifestyle factors that exist outside a medical facility. How closely patients adhere to their drug prescriptions at home is among those external factors. Small-molecule drugs— the pills, tablets, and capsules that occupy medicine cabinets— provide convenience and accessibility for patients and caregivers managing one or more chronic conditions, which is a significant part of our population. It is vital to protect these innovation pipelines.

“Ending the pill penalty by aligning small molecules with biologics’ 13-year track until price control eligibility, as the President has suggested, would reinvigorate small molecule research and development. The President also rightly affirmed the importance of intellectual property rights to America’s health care ecosystem.

“I also commend the President’s call for greater transparency. By confronting these challenges head-on, the President has charted a path that, in no uncertain terms, puts patients first.”

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