Take a break from baking sourdough, churning butter, and screaming into the void. Read the Week in Review in Drug Pricing!
1. On the Double: Give Taxpayers A Say
- Taxpayers are mega-funders for Moderna’s research into a COVID-19 vaccine, one of the most promising options on the table. We applaud the investment in development, but taxpayers must have a final say in any resulting drug price. – (Patients For Affordable Drugs)
2. COVID-19 Did Not Make High Drug Prices Go Away
- Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Mike Braun of Indiana point out that drug prices are still high, and COVID-19 will only make the problem worse for hard-working Americans. There is still time for Congress to act via the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act. — (The Washington Examiner)
3. We Shouldn’t Pay Twice
- The House this week introduced a $3 trillion COVID-19 relief package. But lawmakers missed the mark on drug pricing reform when they appropriated billions more for drug development without including reasonable pricing guidelines. Congressional relief packages need stronger guardrails to protect taxpayers from pandemic profiteering. — (Bloomberg Law)
4. Transparency Triumphs in Minnesota!
- On Tuesday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed a bipartisan bill that requires pharmaceutical companies to report and explain significant drug price increases to the state or face a daily $10k fine. Patients applaud state legislators and the governor for fighting for all Minnesotans! — (Star Tribune)
5. Maryland Governor Bows to Big Pharma with Veto
- Maryland Governor Larry Hogan vetoed a measure to provide funding for the state’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board, an entity lawmakers created in 2019 to assess drug price increases and make drug prices more affordable for state and local governments. We expect more from the governor and call on the state’s legislature to right his wrong at the first opportunity. — (Maryland Matters)