Other pain points included drug pricing and how approving more generics may affect costs (Gottlieb parried that question by noting the FDA doesn't have the authority to negotiate prices or consider pricing when approving a drug) and his alleged softness on opioid drug makers due
the aforementioned financial ties and pro-industry ideology (the nominee noted that he considers opioid addiction and overdoses a public health crisis «on the order of Ebola and Zika»).