Sanders targets pharma CEOs to testify in Senate, but some see 'retaliation' for lawsuit against Biden admin

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Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announced this week he plans to hold a vote on Jan. 31 to subpoena the CEOs of two big Pharma companies for a hearing on drug pricing in front of the Health, Education Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee after they refused to testify last year.

The subpoenas for Johnson & Johnson CEO Joaquin Duato and Merck CEO Robert Davis would have them testify about why their costs for medicine are "substantially higher" compared to other countries, the announcement said.

But some executives see the pending subpoenas as a form of retaliation for a court battle over Medicare price negotiations.

"It is absolutely unacceptable that the CEOs of Johnson & Johnson and Merck have refused an invitation by a majority of members on the HELP Committee to appear before Congress about the outrageously high price of prescription drugs," Sanders said. "These CEOs may make tens of millions of dollars in compensation. The pharmaceutical companies they run may make billions in profits."

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In November, Sanders requested Duato and Davis for testimonies on drug pricing, but they insisted that a "senior pharmaceutical executive best positioned to address and provide Johnson & Johnson’s position regarding the issues" should instead appear, according to a letter