Greg Murphy, a representative for North Carolina, said that eliminating the EPIC Act from current House legislation undermines innovation by halting drug trials affected by the Inflation Reduction Act. The statement was made on X.
“Am extremely disappointed that the EPIC Act is no longer in the House bill,” said Murphy, U.S. Representative from North Carolina. “Because of the IRA’s ‘Pill Penalty’, over 180 drug trials were stopped. Which could be leading to 180 new cures. We cannot stymie American medical research.”
The Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act, introduced in 2025, is a bipartisan bill aimed at equalizing Medicare price negotiation timelines between small-molecule drugs and biologics. According to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the Inflation Reduction Act currently subjects small-molecule drugs to negotiation after nine years, while biologics are exempt for 13 years. The EPIC Act proposes extending the exemption for small-molecule drugs to 13 years to prevent investment disincentives and promote drug innovation.
Following the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), post-approval clinical drug trials saw a 38.4% decline, raising concerns about its impact on innovation. According to the National Pharmaceutical Council, this drop suggests that pricing provisions in the IRA may discourage pharmaceutical companies from investing in further development of approved drugs. The shift underscores early signs of regulatory influence on research and development priorities.
New data indicates that pharmaceutical research and development investment has shifted since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, particularly affecting small-molecule drugs. As reported by Becaris Publishing, funding for small-molecule development has decreased as firms redirect resources toward biologics that enjoy a longer exemption from Medicare price negotiations. This trend reflects concerns that the IRA may unintentionally stifle innovation in certain drug categories.
Representative Murphy, a Republican from North Carolina’s 3rd District, has served in Congress since 2019 and is a practicing urologist. According to his official House website, he serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and focuses heavily on healthcare policy, including physician access, telehealth expansion, and medical workforce development. His medical background informs his advocacy for patient-centered care and legislative reform.
