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Big Pharma could face losses if the newly split government can reach a consensus on drug prices

But that's a big "if."

Americans continue to spend on drugs at an increasing rate. 
Americans continue to spend on drugs at an increasing rate. 
Tim Boyle/Getty Images

There is already public consensus that drug prices are too high. Both Democrats and President Donald Trump have vowed to lower them. Yet, even with a new Democratic majority in the House, they may face challenges lowering pharmaceutical costs. Politically divided governments are often synonymous with gridlock, even on an issue as widely supported as drug prices. For their part, markets are signaling a belief in continued gridlock.