No Authority

The president, however, does not have the legal authority nor the regulatory tools to require drugmakers to sell their products at “Most Favored Nation” prices in any market, said Spencer Perlman, director of health care policy research at Veda Partners, which advises institutional investors and corporations.

The administration could try to institute a mandatory “test” of such pricing in Medicare and Medicaid through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Innovation Center, Perlman said. But that would likely face legal challenges.