Article snippet: MORE on Friday outlined his long-awaited plan to lower drug prices, stopping short of a full-scale assault on the pharmaceutical industry while floating several ideas that could give companies heartburn. Trump stepped back from the some of the sweeping proposals he offered on the campaign trail, like having Medicare negotiate drug prices, but still leveled pointed criticism at the industry. "The drug lobby is making an absolute fortune at the expense of American consumers," Trump said in remarks from the White House Rose Garden. "We are putting American patients first." The plan does not call for a major overhaul of drug companies' pricing practices, but does include some proposals that they oppose. Drug company stocks rose after the president's speech, an indication that investors, at least, do not view the White House's agenda as a major threat to the industry's profits. Much of Trump's plan is still in the form of questions or suggested actions, and it will take time for actual detailed proposals to be put forward. "A lot of good questions in the plan but very little actual action," tweeted Walid Gellad, director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Policy & Prescribing at the University of Pittsburgh. Seeking the upper hand ahead of the midterm elections, Democrats were quick to pounce, saying Trump was backing down from a fight with the industry. “They’re breathing a sigh of relief in pharmaceutical board rooms across the country,” said Sen. MORE (Ore.), the... Link to the full article to read more