WASHINGTON, D.C. — Juliana Keeping, a patient advocate and communications director for Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, will testify before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health today at the hearing, “More Cures for More Patients: Overcoming Pharmaceutical Barriers.”
Juliana is the mom to 7-year-old Eli, who has a life-threatening genetic illness called cystic fibrosis. She will share with the subcommittee her family’s experiences with pharma-funded patient assistance programs, including being unable to afford a drug her son needed to stay healthy when funding from a program was not available.
“The undercurrent in all of this is that families like mine are fighting every day not just to keep our children healthy but to keep them alive. Big Pharma has manipulated my family, placing us in an unfair situation when it comes to paying for our drugs with patient assistance programs,” Keeping tells the subcommittee in her written remarks.
“We are dependent on these programs to ensure my son gets the medication he needs to stay healthy and alive. We live each day at their mercy as drug companies get richer off of their games to keep prices high and patients in limbo.”
The hearing will be held at 2:00 PM at 1100 Longworth House Office Building. Watch the hearing here and read Juliana’s prepared remarks here.
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