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Senators grilled President Donald Trump’s selection to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services about his close ties to the pharmaceutical industry and plans tackling high drug prices. Nominee Alex Azar was an executive at drugmaker Eli Lilly & Co. until January, a role that Democrats say raises concerns about whether he will take on rising drug costs. Azar took questions on his views before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, one of two committees he’ll face as part of the nomination process, on Wednesday. (Edney, 11/29)

Mr. Azar sailed through the first of two hearings on his nomination without making major missteps. But he did not appear to dispel the doubts of Democrats who distrust him because of his experience as a top executive at a major drug maker, Eli Lilly and Company, for 10 years. (Pear, 11/29)

“I think there are constructive things we can do” to bring down the price of medicines, Azar said, sitting alone at the broad witness table in a paneled Senate hearing room. He said he favors fostering competition between brand-name drugs and generic equivalents — an issue he worked on in the early 2000s while he was the HHS general counsel during the George W. Bush administration. “We have to fight gaming in the system by patents and exclusivity agreements.” (Goldstein and Eilperin, 11/29)

“First, drug prices are too high,” Azar told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. “The president has made this clear. So have I.” But Azar faced questions from both Democrats — and even some Republicans — about Lilly’s pricing practices and his commitment to lowering costs. (Groppe, 11/29)

That was insufficient for Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. “You’ve got some convincing to make me believe you’re going to represent the American people, not big pharma,” said Paul. Paul demanded a written explanation from Azar on why it wouldn’t be safe for U.S. patients to import lower-cost prescription drugs from other advanced countries. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 11/29)

The nominee to lead the Health and Human Services Department, Alex M. Azar, told a Senate panel that his top priority would be addressing the high price of prescription drugs. But there was skepticism from both sides of the dais at Wednesday’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing that Azar, a former pharmaceutical company executive, would live up to that promise. While it was mostly Democrats who took aim at Azar’s tenure working for and running the U.S. affiliate of Eli Lilly & Co., Sen. Rand Paul said he would also need to be convinced. (Siddons, 11/29)

Alex Azar, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) took his first step forward Wednesday at a relatively quiet confirmation hearing by the Senate Health Committee. If confirmed, the former HHS general counsel and deputy secretary would replace former Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), who resigned after reports that he’d repeatedly used private jets to fly around the country at taxpayer expense. (Roubein, 11/29)

After years in which the debate over Obamacare has dominated all health policymaking discussion on Capitol Hill, U.S. lawmakers are increasingly turning their attention to the prices that everyday Americans pay for their prescription drugs. Less than one year ago, when the Senate health committee spent four hours grilling Tom Price, President Trump’s nominee as secretary of health and human services, Democrats focused their most aggressive attention on his support for repealing Obamacare and for making major changes to the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as his investments in an Australian biotech company. (Mershon, 11/29)