(The hearing is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET. Please refresh the page if the video doesn’t automatically play at that time.)
Moderna’s CEO, Stephane Bancel, is testifying Wednesday before the Senate health committee on pricing of the company’s Covid-19 vaccine.
The Boston biotech company plans to charge $130 per dose once the vaccination program moves to the private market as early as this fall. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chair of the health committee, slammed Moderna in a letter to Bancel in January, calling the price hike “outrageous.”
Join CNBC’s Healthy Returns on March 29th, where we’ll convene a virtual gathering of CEOs, scientists, investors and innovators in the health care space to reflect on the progress made today to reinvent the future of medicine. Plus, we’ll have an exclusive rundown of the best investment opportunities in biopharma, health-tech and managed care. Learn more and register today: http://bit.ly/3DUNbRo
After Sanders sent the letter, Moderna said it will create an assistance program to keep the vaccine free for people who are uninsured or underinsured.
People who have Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance should still receive the shot at no cost, but Sanders said the price increase “will cost taxpayers billions of dollars.”