STAT+: Q&A: Mark Cuban explains his beef with traditional PBMs — and why he thinks they're destined to fail

Mark Cuban is a man on a mission — to disrupt the pharmaceutical industry.

Specifically, Cuban, the billionaire best known for his past role on the TV show “Shark Tank” and his minority stake in the Dallas Mavericks, is seeking to disrupt the middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers. He’s done that in part with the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, which he launched in 2021 and which he says is a cheaper alternative to traditional PBMs. But he’s also been on something of a speaking tour lately, showing up, among other places, on the campaign trail to rally support for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Cuban recently joined STAT’s Torie Bosch and Matthew Herper on the First Opinion Podcast to discuss his views on PBMs and the rest of the health care system. The below transcript of the conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

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