An obscure Colorado board took an unprecedented step last week in an attempt to control the prices that patients pay for their medicines.

The board, called the Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board , made Colorado the first state to set, effectively, a price cap on a prescription drug. The cap, known formally as an upper payment limit, puts a ceiling on how much a patient or insurer in Colorado will have to pay for the drug — in this case a drug called Enbrel that treats rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. It will start Jan. 1, 2027.

The vote was four years in the making, had already survived one legal challenge and represented a major victory for allies of Gov. Jared Polis’ approach to reducing health care costs through stronger regulation.

“This groundbreaki

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