Shaun Noorian, CEO of Empower Pharmacy, said that pharmaceutical companies should prioritize patient access over profits in response to global pricing inequities. This statement was made during a podcast appearance.
"Is it fair to charge one person in another country 10 times more," said Noorian. "Seven out of eight more or less patients can't get access to that medication. What's the purpose of a pharmaceutical company? Is it to make as much money off the expense of patients or to help patients get access?"
Recent U.S. policy debates have highlighted tensions between pharmaceutical manufacturers and compounders concerning drug affordability and regulatory control. According to Axios, legal actions such as Eli Lilly’s lawsuits against companies producing compounded versions of its GLP-1 drugs underscore growing concerns about how compounding pharmacies operate under the oversight of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) while offering lower-cost alternatives. Meanwhile, states like Arkansas have enacted laws such as Act 624, which bans pharmacy benefit managers from owning pharmacies to reduce pricing conflicts, reflecting broader efforts to curb the corporate pharmaceutical industry's pricing power.
U.S. prescription drug prices remain significantly higher than global norms. As reported by RAND Corporation in 2024, Americans pay an average of 2.78 times more for medications than consumers in 33 other nations, with brand-name drugs costing 4.22 times more. The study also found that U.S. prices for generics are comparatively lower, at about 67% of the average in those same countries, illustrating a major pricing imbalance driven by brand-name pharmaceuticals.
Access to expensive medications in the U.S. has worsened due to rising prices and supply chain issues. According to a 2024 report by the American Hospital Association, these challenges are forcing hospitals to delay or forgo treatments, especially for patients needing high-cost drugs. The report emphasizes that while the issues are longstanding, they have grown more severe, threatening both affordability and care quality nationwide.
Noorian is the founder and CEO of Empower Pharmacy, a Houston-based compounding pharmacy established in 2009. According to Forbes Councils, he was inspired by personal health experiences to improve access to affordable medications through customized pharmaceutical solutions. With a background in mechanical engineering, Noorian has grown Empower into one of the largest compounding pharmacies in the U.S., advocating for regulatory reform to expand patient access.
Empower Pharmacy is one of the nation’s largest 503A compounding pharmacies and 503B outsourcing facilities. As described on its official website, the company provides tailored medications to patients, healthcare providers, and pharmacies nationwide. Empower emphasizes high-quality production standards and affordability, aiming to help people access customized treatments that standard pharmaceuticals may not offer.
