In surveys of ISPOR members, drug pricing was revealed to be a major concern, and one of the top 10 health economics and outcomes research issues influencing the availability of innovative treatments and healthcare decisions.

Despite the fascinating ways that different research studies proposed to understand the puzzle of drug pricing, it is evident that drug prices must factor in the research uncertainties and other costs in addition to the cost of clinical trials and production and should be set to yield an acceptable return on investment.

There has been a lot of discussion about the fairness of drug pricing. The concept is multifaceted, and when discussing it, drug characteristics and market forces must be included. This conversation is further complicated by the lack of transparency in drug pricing and the rise in drug prices.

It is likely that the debate will persist.