TDS Time Machine | Big Pharma

Summary

---

The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: TDS Time Machine | Big Pharma
Host: Trevor Noah
Date: November 16, 2025

---

Overview

This episode explores the ongoing controversies around Big Pharma, skewering the exorbitant prices of prescription drugs, the opioid epidemic, corporate accountability, and systemic corruption. With a blend of comedic takes and sharp interviews, particularly with entrepreneur Mark Cuban, the show satirizes the broken healthcare and pharmaceutical systems, their cozy relationship with government, and the human cost of corruption. The show also covers the celebrity-fueled Ozempic craze, regulatory failures, and political grandstanding over drug policy.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. America’s Broken Pharmaceutical System

• Government Subsidies vs. High Prices
  • Trevor Noah launches into the episode dissecting how pharmaceutical companies receive generous taxpayer subsidies—tax breaks, research grants, and patent extensions—yet reciprocate with the highest drug prices in the Western Hemisphere.

    "[Pharmaceutical companies] get everything from our government... and what do we the people get for it? The highest drug prices in the western hemisphere and for some reason the possibility of an infection in our perineum." — Trevor Noah (01:17)

  • The show mocks the government’s “victories,” such as negotiating the prices of just 10 drugs, as laughably inadequate.

    "The companies we subsidize with billions of dollars are allowing us the privilege to negotiate the price of 10 of their drugs. And 10 is all of them, right?" — Trevor Noah (02:28)

2. The Opioid Crisis: Accountability and Settlements

• Corporate Settlements Without True Consequences
  • Michael Che reports on settlements involving Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, as well as Johnson & Johnson, over their roles in the opioid crisis.

    "They misled sick people about how addictive their drugs were... they made billions... now they just get to be like, uh, how about we give you some of that money back and we call it even? I think it’s bullshit." — Michael Che (04:11)

  • The Sacklers’ testimony is mocked for evasiveness regarding their profits, exposing corporate efforts to avoid accountability:

    Michael Che: "Do you know if it's over $10 billion?"
    Dr. Richard Sackler (via Trevor Noah): "I don't think so."
    Michael Che: "But fair to say it's over a billion dollars?"
    Dr. Sackler: "It would be fair to say that, yes." (05:18–05:35)

  • Johnson & Johnson's stock actually rose after a huge fine, suggesting courts’ punishments remain an insufficient deterrent.

    "Johnson & Johnson's stock actually went up after they were fined $572 million because they expected the punishment to be much worse." — Michael Che (06:32)

  • The hypocrisy in criminal justice: Felicity Huffman faced jail time for college cheating, while pharma executives walk.

    "Prosecutors want Felicity Huffman to go to jail for cheating in a college admissions scandal... But the people responsible for thousands of American deaths get to walk away with a slap on the wrist." — Michael Che (07:03)

3. Comparing Pharma to Drug Cartels

• Comedic Investigation Skit:
  • Michael Che and a guest comedian satirize the blurred line between legal pharmaceutical companies and drug cartels.

    "Pharmaceutical companies are like drug cartels." — Michael Che (10:36)
    "This medicine kills people. Do you still think it's a joke?" — Michael Che (10:50)

• Whistleblower Perspectives
  • Former pharma sales rep Dr. John Verapan and medical researcher Peter Goetche describe the corrupting influence of pharma money on regulators and researchers.

    "They can buy anyone they want. The FDA, the government, the researchers. They get payoffs." — Dr. John Verapan (11:33)

4. Mark Cuban Interview: Disrupting Drug Pricing

• Transparent Pricing at Cost Plus Drug Company
  • Mark Cuban shares how his company, costplusdrugs.com, exposes drug price markups and undercuts traditional pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) by offering transparent, low pricing on generics:

    "Prior to us, there was no transparency whatsoever... The one missing piece: transparency." — Mark Cuban (16:54)
    "There are drugs... $2,000 at a big pharmacy, at costplusdrugs.com it's under $30." — Mark Cuban (17:43)

  • Outlines how the market is rigged by secretive PBMs, driving up costs and stifling competition:

    "PBMs... are dictating prices left and right. They're basically stealing money from employers and employees." — Mark Cuban (17:05)
    "If we publish our price, boom, the whole world's going to change." — Mark Cuban (19:07)

  • Explains pushback from established industry players and how his approach forces greater competition and consumer empowerment.
• The Need for Broader Reform
  • Cuban and Trevor Noah discuss how the healthcare system fails as a “free market” and the entrenched power of insurance giants (“the Bukas”):

    "We have a privatized health care system and it’s the best in the world, but very clearly it doesn’t function like a free market." — Trevor Noah (21:18) "There’s no reason for the big [PBMs] that control 90% of the prescriptions that are filled... to exist." — Mark Cuban (22:29)

5. The Ozempic Weight Loss Craze

• Satirical Take on Off-Label Use and Shortages
  • The panel lampoons the surge in celebrity Ozempic use for weight loss, which causes shortages for diabetics for whom it was designed:

    "Come on. Stop stealing medication from diabetes patients. If you want to lose weight, just do a juice cleanse and spend the next three days on the toilet like a normal person." — Michael Che (24:13)

  • Skits imitate pharma ads warning of the absurdity of the current situation.

    "Ozempic's sleek pen can be hidden inside your rectum, preventing theft." — Trevor Noah (as announcer, 25:05)

6. Politicians Tackle the Opioid Crisis: Trump’s Empty Promises

• Political Response and Satire
  • The show highlights how the crisis becomes political theater, as presidents make big promises but propose ineffective or even damaging solutions (e.g., Trump floating the death penalty for dealers).

    "He may know how to act presidential, but underneath it all, he's still Trump." — Michael Che (27:41)

  • Ad campaigns and anti-drug PSAs are lampooned, with evidence cited that such ads are counterproductive for youth.

    "Drug commercials might make teens more likely to use drugs. Because when you tell a teenager something is dangerous, it just makes them want to do it more." — Michael Che (32:08–32:19)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On government subsidies and poor returns:

  "The money our free market-ish system uses to prop up corporate profit at the expense of the taxpayer."
  — Trevor Noah (01:17)

• On settlements for the opioid crisis:

  "They made billions... now they just get to be like, ‘How about we give you some of that money back and we call it even?’ I think it’s bullshit."
  — Michael Che (04:11)

• On execs dodging responsibility (the Sackler Hearing):

  "This guy’s gonna act like he doesn’t know if he made a billion dollars. Get the out of here, man."
  — Michael Che (05:37)

• On Johnson & Johnson’s stock rising after being fined:

  "Johnson & Johnson’s stock actually went up after they were fined $572 million because they expected the punishment to be much worse."
  — Michael Che (06:32)

• On pharma being like drug cartels:

  "Pharmaceutical companies are like drug cartels."
  — Michael Che (10:36)

• On Cost Plus Drugs transparency:

  "When you go to costplusdrugs.com... first thing we do is we show you our cost, then we show you our markup, which is always 15%."
  — Mark Cuban (17:24)

• On broken market mechanics:

  "If this dude [Martin Shkreli] can just jack up the price, it is not an efficient market. That means nobody knows what the real cost is."
  — Mark Cuban (19:07)

• On anti-drug PSAs backfiring:

  "According to a study... ad campaigns were unlikely to have favorable effects on youths. Even more, watching more commercials actually predicted teens would be more inclined to use drugs."
  — Announcer (31:41–32:08)

• On solving the opioid crisis via political soundbites:

  "President Trump has revealed his long awaited plan to... among the tougher measures proposed, proposed giving drug traffickers the death penalty."
  — Announcer (28:16) "America has spent a lot of money on these ad campaigns before...the National Institutes of Health say it may have done the opposite."
  — Announcer (31:45)

---

Essential Timestamps

• 01:17 — Systemic subsidies and high drug prices
• 03:31 — Opioid crisis settlements and Sackler testimony
• 06:24 — Johnson & Johnson fined, stock market reaction
• 10:36 — Comparing pharma companies to drug cartels
• 15:13 — Mark Cuban interview: drug pricing disruption
• 17:43 — Real-world price reductions by Cost Plus Drugs
• 21:18 — Free market myth in American healthcare
• 24:13 — Ozempic and drug shortages for diabetics
• 32:08 — Ineffectiveness of anti-drug ad campaigns

---

Tone and Style

• The episode maintains The Daily Show's signature blend of irreverent satire and incisive critique, balancing harsh truths about the pharmaceutical industry with humor and parody.
• Mark Cuban brings a pragmatic, reform-minded entrepreneur’s angle, furthering the call for systemic transparency and challenging entrenched middlemen in the industry.
• The panel and field segments use comedic sketches to drive home their points, making complex topics accessible and engaging for listeners.

---

Takeaway:
Big Pharma’s influence, facilitated by government complacency and opaque financial middlemen, continues to harm American consumers. Genuine reform, anchored in transparency and disruptive innovation, is urgently needed—a challenge highlighted by both comedic investigation and real-world entrepreneurial efforts showcased by Mark Cuban.

Transcript

[Announcer]

If you used Babbel, you would. Babbel's conversation based techniques teaches you useful words and phrases to get you speaking quickly about the things you actually talk about in the real world. With lessons handcrafted by over 200 language experts and voiced by real native speakers, Babbel is like having a private tutor in your pocket. Start speaking with Babbel today. Get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription right now at babbel.com Spotify spelled B A B-B-E-L.com Spotify rules and restrictions may apply. OK, a message from McAfee wondering why the post office is texting you or why you owe thousands of dollars in toll fees because someone's trying to scam you. The good news? McAfee can help with McAfee's award winning scam detection. It's easy to tell what's real and what's fake over text, in your inbox and online. If they're fa, you want a free gift. Seriously, if they're faking it, they're not making it past us. Get award winning scam detection today. McAfee.com KeepItReal you're listening to Comedy Central.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

But see, this is where the real money is. The real money. The money our free market ish system uses to prop up corporate profit at the expense of the taxpayer. Pharmaceutical companies get everything from our government. Tax breaks, research grants, patent extensions worth billions of dollars. And what do we the people get for it? The highest drug prices in the western hemisphere and for some reason the possibility of an infection in our perineum. Why would you take a drug that would give you an infection in your perineum? And why are they telling us about it at dinner time? But you know what's so horrible about our system now and the corruption that lays within it. We're so numb to it, we actually tout tiny cracks in that exploitation as victory.

[Announcer]

The President touting the first ever negotiations with pharmaceutical companies to lower the cost of 10 drugs.

[Michael Che]

And today I'm proud to announce that.

[Mark Cuban]

Medicare has reached an agreement with all manufacturers on all 10 drugs selected in the first round of negotiation.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Oh, can it be? The companies we subsidize with billions of dollars are allowing us the privilege to negotiate the price of 10 of their drugs. And 10 is all of them, right? It would be embarrassing if it was a small drop in the bucket and that the American people didn't expect that we should negotiate for all their drugs because we've already paid for it with our subsidies.

[Mark Cuban]

Are you Come on.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

I'll be going to the hospital soon. What we do at pharmaceutical companies is like the worst shark tank deal ing history. Well, we're asking for billions of dollars of your money. Oh, what do we get? 10% of your company? Uh, no. Do we get a discount? No. What do we get? Have you checked your perineum?

[Michael Che]

The opioid crisis. Over the course of two decades, millions of Americans have become addicted to these painkillers. And after years of people demanding that someone be held accountable, the drug companies are finally starting to pay a price.

[Announcer]

There is word tonight of a settlement involving thousands of lawsuits tied to the opioid crisis. Oxycont maker Purdue Pharma has reached an agreement with 22 states and about 2,000 local governments over its role in the deadly epidemic. The company will pay up to $12 billion over time, with 3 billion coming from the Sackler family. They own Purdue Pharma and will also give up control of the company.

[Michael Che]

You know, I'll be honest with you. I'm torn about this story. You know, yes, I'm happy that the opioid companies will have to pay, but at the same time, they misled sick people about how addictive their drugs were. Right. They also lobbied to lift limits on how many opioids doctors could prescribe. And then now that they've made billions of dollars off an epidemic that caused countless deaths, they just get to be like, uh, how about we give you some of that money back and we call it even? I think it's bullshit. I'll be honest. I imagine someone broke into your house, stole a bunch of their stuff, and then when you busted them, they were like, all right, all right, you got me. You got. How about I break you off 100 and we call it even?

[Guest/Comedian]

Yeah.

[Michael Che]

Yeah. And then you're like, that's my wallet. It's like, okay, 121. I got to keep the library card.

[Guest/Comedian]

Okay?

[Michael Che]

And even though. Even though this opioid crisis has been in the news for the past few years, the family who profited most from a lot of this devastation has managed to remain fairly anonymous. But now we're finally meeting the men behind the curtain for the first time. We're now seeing and hearing from Dr. Richard Sackler, the former chairman and president of Purdue Pharma. Respond to questions under oath.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Do you know how much the Sackler.

[Michael Che]

Family has made off the sale of OxyContin?

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

I don't know.

[Michael Che]

Do you know if it's over $10 billion?

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

I don't think so.

[Michael Che]

You know, if it's over $5 billion.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

I don't know.

[Michael Che]

But fair to say it's over a billion dollars?

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

It would be fair to say that, yes.

[Michael Che]

Really?

[Guest/Comedian]

Really?

[Michael Che]

This guy's gonna act like he doesn't know if he made a billion dollars. Get the out of here, man. You see him acting like he's thinking about it. Oh, did I? Eh, I guess you could say he's acting like he has to count up all his change. Well, I did get that from grandma. Made 150 from the yard sale.

[Mark Cuban]

Oh, yeah.

[Michael Che]

There's a billion dollars from killing thousands of Americans by lying to them about their painkillers. Oh, yeah, almost forgot that part. Oh, and I got the library card. Yeah, the library card. And the sacklers. They. They aren't the only ones facing consequences for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic. Right? Everyone's favorite baby shampoo company has also been told it's time to pay up.

[Announcer]

Yesterday, an Oklahoma judge ruled that opioids ravaged the state and ordered Johnson and Johnson to pay $572 million. The judge said that the company misled the public about the dangers of its drugs.

[Mark Cuban]

Johnson and Johnson stock was up as much as 5% since the company was ordered to pay far less than many investors expected.

[Michael Che]

Yeah, you heard that right. Johnson and Johnson's stock actually went up after they were fined $572 million because they expected the punishment to be much worse. They expected the punishment to be worse? Yeah. And that tells you something. It's like a guy coming out of the shower, and his girlfriend is like, uh, you've got some explaining to do. I was looking through your phone, and who is this puppy you met? It is adorable. You know, I love puppies. Why didn't you tell me? And the guy's like, oh, yeah. Oh, the puppy that I'm totally not having sex with? Yeah, the puppy. So, as it stands, these drug companies are gonna pay a bunch of fines, not even admit responsibility, and no one seems to be going to jail, which is insane when you think about it, right? Like, just think about the levels here. Prosecutors want Felicity Huffman to go to jail for cheating in a college admissions scandal. They want to go to jail for that. But the people responsible for thousands of American deaths get to walk away with a slap on the wrist. These people are basically very formal drug dealers who are now protected just because they're a corporation. But if you look at someone like El Chapo, what's the major difference? Right? Be like, oh, it's more violent. Yes. But Fundamentally, he's a drug dealer. They were drug dealers. The feds took his money. Yeah, and he's spending the rest of his life in prison. So if you think about it, El Chapo really only made one big mistake. He shouldn't have been a drug lord. He should have been the CEO of El Chapo, Inc.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

As a raider scavenging a derelict world, you settle into an underground settlement. But now you must return to the surface, where arc machines roam. If you're brave enough, who knows what you might find.

[Michael Che]

Arc Raiders, a multiplayer extraction adventure video game. Buy now for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC rated T for teen.

[Guest/Comedian]

The scourge of drugs has long ravaged this nation. Santa Clara Assistant County Council Danny chu explains the 20 toll drugs have taken on his district.

[Michael Che]

The overdose deaths are just the tip of the iceberg in Santa Clara County. It's resulted in skyrocketing medical costs, and it's also resulted in rampant crime.

[Guest/Comedian]

So what are the drugs we talking about? Crack, heroin, Molly, Ping pong, Black Flag Rose spray?

[Michael Che]

Crisco Opioids like oxycontin, Vicodin are. Percocet.

[Guest/Comedian]

Back pain medicine. Who commits crimes with a bad back.

[Michael Che]

These drugs are chemically similar to heroin. And the result has been millions of people that are now addicted to these drugs.

[Guest/Comedian]

Okay, but street drugs are one thing. Pharmaceutical drugs are there to help. Right.

[Michael Che]

There's no evidence that these prescription painkillers work well for chronic pain conditions.

[Mark Cuban]

Really?

[Michael Che]

Yes. Nonetheless, the drug companies market these drugs for. For those purposes. That's why we filed this lawsuit to hold these companies accountable.

[Guest/Comedian]

And they have a lot to be accountable for. Studies show prolonged use of these drugs reduces their effectiveness and increases the risk of overdose. But oxy requires a prescription, so how are these companies to blame? It wasn't adding up. Then I got a visit from author and medical researcher Peter Goetche.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

I have a little secret for you.

[Guest/Comedian]

I can't hear you, dude.

[Michael Che]

I have a little secret to tell you.

[Guest/Comedian]

I still can't hear what you're saying.

[Michael Che]

A secret.

[Guest/Comedian]

What?

[Michael Che]

I'm coming out.

[Guest/Comedian]

This Deep Throat insider informant told me how this epidemic got out of hand.

[Michael Che]

Purdue Pharma lied to the doctors and told them that OxyContin is less likely to lead to substance abuse. And this is not true.

[Guest/Comedian]

Wait. Seriously?

[Michael Che]

You can look at the lawsuits. Pfizer was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy.

[Guest/Comedian]

Wow.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Merck, Eli Lilly, Johnson.

[Michael Che]

And Johnson was fined more than $1 billion. It's all the same.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

What they do is actually organize crimes.

[Michael Che]

Pharmaceutical companies are like drug cartels.

[Guest/Comedian]

That's a good one.

[Michael Che]

It's not a joke. It's a fact. I have studied this.

[Guest/Comedian]

Listen, man, I'm a comedian. I know about jokes. Yes, all right. Yes, that's a funny joke.

[Michael Che]

This medicine kills people. Do you still think it's a joke?

[Guest/Comedian]

Well, not that part. You gotta learn how to get off on a high note. Fortune 500 companies behaving like drug cartels. It seemed hard to swallow. So I went to the heart of the oxy triangle to confront one of them face to face. Can I. I would like to speak to your don.

[Michael Che]

Or who?

[Guest/Comedian]

Your don, please. The drug lord or whatever. The. Your top guy. Like your Pablo Escobar kind of. Goodbye. Turn that off. Turns out nobody on the inside would talk to me. Then I got lucky.

[Michael Che]

Behind the pole.

[Guest/Comedian]

Michael.

[Michael Che]

Who the are you?

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

I'm Dr. John Verapan.

[Guest/Comedian]

I used to be a pharmaceutical sales rep. Finally, a whistleblower emerged to tell me how these companies are allowed to continue to operate. They can buy anyone they want. The fda, the government, the researchers. They get payoffs. Aren't you scared that they're gonna come after you?

[Michael Che]

Why do you think I live in Sweden?

[Guest/Comedian]

Wait, what? You live in Sweden? Probably hard for you to hide as a brown dude in Sweden.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

This is one Indian they're not gonna get.

[Michael Che]

Great.

[Guest/Comedian]

So the only people who would talk to me are hiding in Sweden. This was starting to sound like a real conspiracy. Thankfully, former FDA Associate Commissioner Peter Pittsburgh straightened everything out.

[Mark Cuban]

I think pharmaceutical companies are extremely straightforward and honest about the benefits and the risks of their products.

[Guest/Comedian]

Pete, I'm so glad that you can calm me down, man, because I was freaking out. So why do pharmaceutical companies have such a bad rep?

[Mark Cuban]

Michael, statistics are like a bikini. What they show you is interesting, but what they conceal is essential.

[Guest/Comedian]

Vagina. They conceal the vagina?

[Mark Cuban]

Well, I think people who make these unsubstantiated claims need to visit their doctor and perhaps have their medication changed.

[Guest/Comedian]

And obviously, no one's paying you to say that. No.

[Mark Cuban]

Do we accept donations from pharmaceutical companies? We most certainly do.

[Guest/Comedian]

Oh, no. So according to these guys, pharmaceutical companies market dangerous drugs, mislead doctors, and pay people off. Which raises the question, why am I with them? These pharmaceutical companies have billions of dollars. They can get away with anything they want. And I'm messing with them on national tv, and you're not worried about that at all?

[Michael Che]

I wouldn't say it doesn't bother me.

[Guest/Comedian]

But, well, it bothers me.

[Michael Che]

Well, the pharmaceutical companies, they don't kill people directly. They Kill them with pills.

[Guest/Comedian]

I don't want to be killed with anything. I want to live till I'm 89 years old like you.

[Michael Che]

Oh.

[Guest/Comedian]

Could Fresh face Michael Che really be in danger? It seemed like everywhere I turned, there they were.

[Michael Che]

They're everywhere.

[Guest/Comedian]

If only there was something to relieve my anxiety.

[Mark Cuban]

Tired of another sleepless night?

[Announcer]

Do you feel overwhelmed?

[Mark Cuban]

Anxious? Nervous?

[Guest/Comedian]

Sadness?

[Announcer]

Despondent?

[Michael Che]

Stress at work?

[Mark Cuban]

Worry?

[Michael Che]

Insomnia?

[Announcer]

Your mind is racing and you're scared. Now there's help.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Ask your doctor about Celebrex, Symboltic, Zoloft.

[Mark Cuban]

Paxon, Zyban, Roserum, Invokana, Prozac, Ambient, Abilify. Just talk to your doctor.

[Guest/Comedian]

Thanks. Pharmaceutical companies.

[Announcer]

Side effects include nausea, dry mouth, diarrhea and death.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

This episode is brought to you by Netflix. Tomorrow night, witness the end of an era. John Cena takes center stage for his final appearance ever on Monday Night Raw. One last match. One unforgettable farewell. Celebrate the legacy of a true WWE legend. Don't miss Monday Night Raw tomorrow night at 8:00pm Eastern Time, 5:00pm Pacific Time, only on Netflix. Be there for the moment, everyone will be talking about.

[Announcer]

If we knew more about our sleep, what would we do differently? Would we go to bed at a consistent time or take steps to reduce interruptions to our sleep? With the all new sleep score, Apple Watch measures your bedtime consistency, interruptions and sleep duration. Then every morning it combines these factors into an easy to understand score from 1 to 100. So you'll know how to take the.

[Michael Che]

Quality of your sleep from good to excellent.

[Announcer]

Introducing the new sleep score on Apple Watch. IPhone 11 or later required.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight, an entrepreneur, minority owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, co founder, founder of Cost Plus Drug Company. Please welcome Mark Cuban. By the way, now you are in this interesting position in your career where you've sort of evolved. You are now, even though I think your leanings are probably you consider more independent, more libertarian. You are the left's favorite billionaire.

[Mark Cuban]

What could be better than up the health care system in the United States of America and making sure it's affordable?

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

That's interesting. Yeah. There's a path there. There. There is. I im when you get in that position at that height, you can't help but hear the siren call of you could run this whole thing. Cuban.

[Mark Cuban]

Maybe a little bit. Maybe a little bit. But you know, just. I hate to use the cliches, but the way I was raised, I've got three kids. Right, Right. And I don't want to miss that you know, I don't want to be 95 and look back and say I was present, but I didn't get to know my kids at all. You know, I'd rather say I healthcare. And everybody's healthier and everybody's got a better world to live in. And my kids and I are friends. We're close. You know, they bring over the grandkids and the kids. Kids. And that's just more important to me.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Right. And do you have your eye on other industries right now where you can do sort of the same kinds of things?

[Mark Cuban]

There's pharmacy and where, you know, cost+drugs.com I'm gonna get that sales pitch in there.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Cuban]

Costplusdrugs.com is literally in process of having a significant impact on the drug market. Right. We are pushing generic drugs down, down. Now. We're right around the corner from.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

You're negotiating prices in a way that hasn't been done prior.

[Mark Cuban]

Right. So when you go. Prior to us, there was no transparency whatsoever. Right. And so nobody knew what the price of any medication was. Whether you're an employer playing for your.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

And it's just run by these boards.

[Mark Cuban]

Yeah. These. These pharmacy benefit managers are dictating prices left and right. They're basically stealing money from employers and employees. And so we walked in there and said, what's the one missing piece? Transparency. So when you go to costplusdrugs.com, you put in the name of the medication you might take. Let's just say Tadilafil. Right. I know you don't know what that means.

[Michael Che]

Sure.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

To Dilafil.

[Mark Cuban]

Yeah, sure.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

I'm so hopped up on Dadilafil right now. You have no idea.

[Mark Cuban]

Do you know what it is?

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

I don't.

[Mark Cuban]

Generic Cialis.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

As I said before. Therefore, I am so hopped up on Salazar.

[Mark Cuban]

So when you go to costplusdrugs.com and you put into Dillafill or whatever, first thing we do is we show you our cost, then we show you our markup, which is always 15%. And everybody gets the same price because we're mail order to start. We're starting to partner with pharmacies now. There is a shipping fee and then there's a fee for the pharmacist to review everything.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Right.

[Mark Cuban]

And when you do it that way.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

And this is legal.

[Mark Cuban]

Of course it's legal. Yeah. It's. That's good old American capitalism. But let me just tell you the impact. There are drugs that. There's a drug called Imatinib for chemotherapy, right? That when we started, the price of imatinib, if you just walked into a big pharmacy, a big chain pharmacy, was going to be $2,000. You go to costplusdrugs.com it's under 30, there's a drug, Droxodopa, right?

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

That's just insane.

[Mark Cuban]

I had a friend. I had a friend, Landon, who was in a terrific car crash, and he needed this drug, Droxodopa, lost his insurance. It was going to be $30,000 every three months. I'm like, let me just check to see if we can get it. $64 a month. And the price has gone down since. All because we were transparent.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

But, like, weren't there dudes like Martin Shkreli in jail for shit like that? Like, when you jack prices up like that? And why can't the United States government negotiate in terms of. If you're the largest customer to any industry, it's criminal that you wouldn't use any leverage to make those things more available to people.

[Mark Cuban]

The problem was there's this thing called pharmacy benefit managers, right? And they're basically responsible for doing the negotiating with, to a certain extent, Medicare, but with all the large employers. If you're, you know, one of those big companies that cover 150 million employees across the country, that's who you negotiate with. And the first rule when they negotiate, they say is you can't talk about this. It's like fight club. You cannot say what your price is. You can't say what we're doing in our negotiation. And they got so big doing that that nobody ever questioned them. We come along and actually, Martin Shkreli plays a little part in this whole thing, because when he got thrown in jail, I was talking to Alex Ashmiansky, my partner, and it's like, if this dude can just jack up the price, it is not an efficient market. That means nobody knows what the real cost is. If we publish our price, boom, the whole world's going to change. And as it turns out, the FTC just came out with this report criticizing the PBMs. They used our pricing data. The smartest thing we did was so now.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

So this brings up. So FTC is the Federal Trade Commission, and, boy, there's nothing the tech world hates more than the ftc. Than the ftc. So. So how does that square?

[Mark Cuban]

Well, you know, like any agency, they do something's right and something's wrong. So. But in this case with the PBMs, they're crushing them. And it's justified now, is it something.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

That can't be done throughout the healthcare because one of the difficulties with health care is the contingencies of you can't really comparison chop. When you have a heart attack, you're basically saying, drive me to the closest.

[Mark Cuban]

Hospital, take care of me.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

But those prices you're talking about, you could get heart attack treatment at this hospital, it's $150,000. But you go up the street and it's $12,000 and it's all about that. Nobody knows.

[Mark Cuban]

Well, see, and what happens is who's paying when you, you know, God forbid, have a heart attack. And you go there and let's just say it's going through your employer. Your employer has no idea what they're paying. And so what we're saying is on drugs first and now we're just getting it approved today. We're going to publish all contracts. Never before has it been done where for my companies, we're saying if you want to do business with us, if this hospital system wants to work with my companies, whatever it may be, we're going to publish them and put them online for anybody to see all the, all of our pricing.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

But so then why. I think that's fantastic. But I'm curious then why is there such pushback on this idea of applying those same kinds of competitions and things to our health care system? You know, we talk about we have got a privatized health care system and it's the best in the world, but very clearly it doesn't function like a free market. No, it's not free market in any way at all. So what is so terrible about getting everybody health care? Like why is that so?

[Mark Cuban]

Not that you're not doing this, but These companies, these PBMs and the big insurance companies, they call them the Bukas, the largest insurance companies, right? They are so big, like I keep on saying, big employers cover 150 million people. Right. And the CEO of this big company doesn't know much about health care and their health care costs. And so they just say to them, okay, we're going to write you a check for a rebate even though it's your sickest employees that are paying for that rebate.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Right.

[Mark Cuban]

They just don't know.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

And the it's so interesting because it's such a non villainous, you know, nobody ever talks about like big prescription benefit manager, right?

[Mark Cuban]

Like that's a good thing.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

It's always like big oil is going to come down or Big Tobacco or Big Pharma. And it's really like the pbs, big middle manager.

[Mark Cuban]

Yeah, that's what it is. Right. And you cut them out. Right. There's no reason for the big ones that control 90% of the prescriptions that are filled. There's no reason for them to exist. There are others that are called pass through PBMs, right. That show you all your claims, show you all your data, show you all your pricing, that do it for a fraction of the price.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Right.

[Mark Cuban]

So there's an opportunity.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Disruption, baby disruption. That's what I like to see. What's that now? What's the net? What else do you have your eye on as far as healthcare?

[Mark Cuban]

Healthcare.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

It's gonna be healthcare.

[Mark Cuban]

Healthcare.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Yeah, I'm with that.

[Mark Cuban]

I'm with that, too.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

And it might be, you know, with that money if you could help us. Okay, forget it.

[Announcer]

If you are like most Americans, you love trying to lose weight while not losing any weight. But now there's a new drug that really causes weight loss. There's just one small downside.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

You may have seen photos of celebrities and others showing off dramatic weight loss. Some say it's diet and exercise. Yet millions openly credit drugs used to.

[Mark Cuban]

Treat obesity and diabetes for getting so skinny.

[Announcer]

Ozempic is a drug that was developed to treat diabetes, but in recent months, demand for that drug has soared because one of its side effects is weight loss. Many are now calling for this trend to end because it's causing a shortage in medicine that they desperately need. The company that makes Ozempic blames the shortage on intermittent supply disruptions. Company also said while doctors might be prescribing Ozempic for weight loss, the company does not promote doing so. Come on. Stop stealing medication from diabetes patients. If you want to lose weight, just do a juice cleanse and spend the next three days on the toilet like a normal person. But I'll tell you what, if Ozempic isn't going to be able to stop celebrities from taking it for weight loss, they could at least change their ads to warn diabetics about it.

[Guest/Comedian]

People with type 2 diabetes are excited about how Ozempic treats blood sugar and weight loss.

[Announcer]

Thanks to Ozempic, I have a ton more energy now, which I need to fight off the hordes of real housewives trying to steal my Ozempic.

[Michael Che]

I said get back, Lisa.

[Guest/Comedian]

All it takes is one dose per week and a panic room to hide.

[Mark Cuban]

From all the TikTok influencers.

[Guest/Comedian]

I'm not going out like Billy.

[Michael Che]

They stripped him to his bones for.

[Guest/Comedian]

His Ozempic, even did a little TikTok dance while they did Ozempic is not for everyone. If you are not prepared to kill.

[Mark Cuban]

For Ozempic, it may not be right for you.

[Michael Che]

Check with your doctor to see if.

[Guest/Comedian]

You'Re healthy enough for extended fist fighting.

[Michael Che]

In the event of a celebrity attack.

[Guest/Comedian]

Ozempic Sleek pen can be hidden inside.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Your rectum, preventing theft.

[Michael Che]

Ozempic has given me the freedom to live my.

[Mark Cuban]

Oh, it's Chelsea Hamilton.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Ask your doctor about Ozempic today.

[Announcer]

Thanks, Ozempic.

[Guest/Comedian]

Thanks, Ozempic.

[Michael Che]

Thanks, Ozempic.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

I don't have it.

[Michael Che]

I swear.

[Announcer]

That's what everybody says.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Ozempic. You'll probably survive it.

[Michael Che]

Shopping is hard, right? But I found a better way. Stitch Fix online. Personal styling makes it easy. I just give my stylist my size, style, and budget preferences. I order boxes when I want and how I want, no subscription required. And he sends just for me, pieces plus outfit recommendations and styling tips. I keep what works and send back the rest. It's so easy. Make style easy. Get started today@stitch fix.com Spotify. That's stitchfix.com Spotify.

[Announcer]

Wayfair's big sale is returning. Get ready for way day. For four days only, score up to 80% off all things home with free shipping on everything from October 26th through 29th, score Wayfair's best deals, like up to 80% off area rugs, up to 60% off mattresses, up to 60% off bedroom furniture, and more exclusive doorbuster deals. So mark your calendar and shop Wayday starting October 26th at Wayfair.com Wayfair Every style, every home.

[Michael Che]

Let's move on to our main story. Opioid addiction. It's a nationwide epidemic. And luckily for the opioids, Donald Trump is on the case.

[Announcer]

President Trump is talking tough on the opioid crisis. On Monday in New Hampshire, one of the state's hardest hit by addiction, he unveiled a plan to combat that nationwide epidemic.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

The President flew to New Hampshire to.

[Mark Cuban]

Make his announcement, a state he once.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Called a drug infested den.

[Michael Che]

Wow. A drug infested den. Trump is the only person who will help people while insulting them. Like you never saw Jesus in the Bible being like, let's give a hand to this poor leper. Cause the one he had fell off.

[Announcer]

Oh.

[Michael Che]

Oh, you get it. No, no. I'm gonna heal you.

[Announcer]

I'm gonna heal you.

[Michael Che]

But that was funny. That was funny.

[Guest/Comedian]

That was.

[Michael Che]

Come on. That was funny. All right, any blind people here? The blind guy's like, shh, don't tell him I'm here. I Don't wanna get roasted now because the opioid crisis is one that's been close to Trump's heart for a long time. The President did lay out some good proposals, right? For instance, allowing Medicaid to pay for residential rehab, encouraging production of less addictive painkillers, and more accountability for pharmaceutical companies. And you can tell from his tone that he's not messing around.

[Mark Cuban]

Whether you are a dealer or doctor or trafficker or a manufacturer, if you break the law and illegally peddle these deadly poisons, we will find you, we.

[Michael Che]

Will arrest you, and we will hold you accountable. Wow. We will find you, arrest you, and hold you accountable. You know, he's taking this seriously because he's talking about drugs like they're Hillary. Now, now, before you get carried away saying, wow, Donald has really turned into a reasonable president, don't forget, he may know how to act presidential, but underneath it all, he's still Trump.

[Announcer]

President Trump has revealed his long awaited plan to combat the country's deadly opioid epidemic. And among the tougher measures proposed, proposed giving drug traffickers the death penalty.

[Mark Cuban]

The ultimate penalty has to be the death penalty. Now, maybe our country's not ready for that.

[Michael Che]

It's possible.

[Mark Cuban]

It's possible that our country is not ready for that.

[Michael Che]

And I can understand it, maybe.

[Mark Cuban]

Although personally, I can't understand that.

[Michael Che]

You know, one of my favorite things about Trump is that he has inner monologues out loud.

[Guest/Comedian]

Yeah.

[Michael Che]

It's like America elected Gollum as president. We must have the death penalty. We can't have it.

[Guest/Comedian]

The country is not ready.

[Michael Che]

We are ready. This is insane. At least, at least we know that even if no one runs against Trump in 2020, the debates are still gonna be great. It's just him and himself. And now, look, the truth is, I can see why Trump thinks killing drug dealers will solve the opioid crisis. Right? It's the same way he thought getting rid of Comey would make the whole Russia thing go away. But it turns out it's a lot more complicated, right? Today's epidemic is complicated in many ways, because. Okay, fine, let's say you, you kill all the drug dealers, right? You know, the, the bad drug dealers, the bad man dealing drugs on the corner, right? In this opioid crisis, that's hardly the only kind of person involved. So do you also kill doctors who overprescribe painkillers? Do you kill family members who buy opioids for their addicted loved ones? Do you kill the people who sell drugs to pay for their own addiction? Or do you, you know what? This is complicated, I guess. Just give everybody the death penalty. I understand it now. I get it. And here's the thing. I'm not saying all of Trump's plans are bad. It's just that some of his drug fighting ideas seem to come straight out of the 80s like this. This has been something that I've been very strongly in favor of spending a lot of money on great commercials showing how bad it is. So that kids seeing those commercials, doing.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

The right shows on television or wherever.

[Mark Cuban]

The Internet, when they see these commercials, say, I don't want any part of it. That's the least expensive thing we can do where you scare them from ending up like the people in the commercials.

[Michael Che]

And we'll make them very, very bad commercials. Poor Trump. He tried so hard to think of a different word and then he just gave up. Very, very bad commercials. Now look again. I see why Trump thinks that this idea makes sense. I mean, if the President of the United States believes everything he sees on tv, then why wouldn't teenagers? But don't forget, America has spent a lot of money on these ad campaigns before. Right? All through the 80s and 90s, you couldn't watch TV without seeing one of these.

[Announcer]

Joey, I got some stuff you just gotta try. What is it?

[Mark Cuban]

Pot.

[Announcer]

You know, marijuana. Oh, well, I don't know. What are you, chicken?

[Michael Che]

I'm not sure.

[Mark Cuban]

Not chicken.

[Announcer]

You're a turkey.

[Mark Cuban]

Okay.

[Michael Che]

Those commercials were very, very bad. And, and here's the thing. They weren't just corny.

[Guest/Comedian]

Right?

[Michael Che]

Studies have shown that those commercials didn't actually work.

[Announcer]

Remember those commercials that were supposed to stop you from smoking pot? The National Institutes of Health say it may have done the opposite. According to a study of 12 and a half to 18 year olds from 1999 to 2004, ad campaigns were unlikely to have favorable effects on youths. Even more. Some rounds of the study proved watching more commercials actually predicted teens would be more inclined to use drugs.

[Michael Che]

That's right. Believe it or not, drug commercials might make teens more likely to use drugs. Because when you tell a teenager something is dangerous, it just makes them want to do it more.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Yeah.

[Michael Che]

And I mean, think about it. We've been warned for decades that Cheetos are dangerously cheesy. And yet we still lost Jeremy to them. He died as he lived. Flaming hot. So look, I. I believe that the President sincerely wants to keep young people away from drugs, which is why here at the Daily show, we've decided to help. You see, typical anti drug PSAs don't work on the kids. What Trump needs is a way to make drugs seem really uncool for young people. And for once, I believe he's the right man for the job. Because according to polls, two thirds of American teenagers think Donald Trump is totes lame. So to keep them off drugs, all the president needs to do is pretend that he takes drugs, which shouldn't be that hard.

[Announcer]

Joey, I got some stuff you just gotta try. What is it? Opioids.

[Michael Che]

You know, the good stuff.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

You think doing drugs makes you cool?

[Guest/Comedian]

Wrong. Drug abuse leads to serious problems like memory loss.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

I don't know what I said. I don't remember.

[Michael Che]

Aggression. Like to punch him in the face.

[Mark Cuban]

I'll tell you.

[Guest/Comedian]

Slurred speech. God bless the United States and whatever this is.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Bing, bing, bong, bong, bing, bing, bing.

[Guest/Comedian]

Drugs don't make you look cool. They make you look like this.

[Michael Che]

Don't be like Trump.

[Mark Cuban]

Explore more shows from the Daily show.

[Michael Che]

Podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount. Plus.

[Guest/Comedian]

This has been a Comedy Central podcast.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Limu Emu and Doug.

[Mark Cuban]

Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating.

[Michael Che]

It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[Mark Cuban]

Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us. Cut the camera.

[Michael Che]

They see us.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty.

[Michael Che]

Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Fairy underwritten by.

[Host (Trevor Noah)]

Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates excludes Massachusetts.

[Announcer]

Kay Jeweler's early Black Friday sale is happening now. Get up to 50% off Black Friday deals and up to 40% off everything else. Don't miss this sale. Start your season with savings only at K. Exclusions apply. See kay.com exclusions for details. With savings over $390 this shopping season, VRBO helps you swap gift wrap time for quality time with those you love most. From snow on the roof to sand between your toes, we have all the vacation rental options covered. Go to VRBO now and book a last minute week long stay. Save over $390 this holiday season and book your next vacation rental home on VRBO. Average savings $396. Select homes only.