Sanders Campaign Press Release - Sanders Welcomes Setback in Trade Talks for Drug Company Efforts to Drive Prices Higher

HOOKSETT, N.H. – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Saturday welcomed reports that a push for a new 12-nation trade deal had stalled amid differences over maneuvers by drug makers who want to jack up prescription medicine prices around the world.

"Some of the countries understand what the pharmaceutical companies want and they're not going to give it to them," Sanders told a town meeting here at Southern New Hampshire University. "They want to have not only Americans but people around the world pay sky-high prices for prescription drugs."

Meetings in Hawaii reportedly deadlocked on Friday over protections for drug companies. The talks ended as negotiators reportedly neared agreement on a major Pacific Rim trade agreement known at the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

New Zealand negotiators reportedly foiled U.S. efforts to extend patent protections and raise prices for medications. Australia and Chile also were said to be resisting the U.S. push to shield pharmaceutical companies for up to 12 years from competition by lower-priced generic drugs.

"Let's defeat TPP," Sanders said to cheers from the more than 500 people who came out to hear him discuss the trade deal and other issues in his campaign for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

Sanders has strongly opposed the job-killing agreement.