Welcome to the Week in Review. We hope everyone is safe and hanging in there this week.
- Our Origin Story
- In a new episode of the Uninvisible Pod with host Lauren Freedman, P4AD founder David Mitchell discusses his life as a multiple myeloma patient — and how his diagnosis and the high prices of his prescription drugs drove him to fight for change to our broken drug pricing system. — (Uninvisible Pod)
2. New Year, Same Price Hikes
- On Jan. 1, 70 pharmaceutical companies raised the prices of hundreds of prescription drugs, as Americans endured sickness and hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This comes after drug companies hiked the prices of more than 1,000 drugs in 2020. Americans overwhelmingly agree that it is long past time to end Big Pharma’s stranglehold on America’s drug pricing system. The incoming Biden administration and Congress must listen to the people and act. — (Reuters)
3. Stand Up for Seniors
- Seniors on Medicare pay for their prescription drugs based on list prices set by Big Pharma. With ever-increasing prices and no out-of-pocket cap in Medicare Part D, all too often those prices are simply too high. Many seniors are forced to patch together assistance programs and grants or face not being able to take their medications as prescribed. Republicans and Democrats in Congress agree the drug pricing system needs reform — patients need leaders to deliver real change. — (Kaiser Health News)
4. Blockbuster Pharma Ad Spends
- America’s COVID-19 death toll exceeded 318,000 by the end of 2020, but tone-deaf Big Pharma rounded out last year by breaking its 2020 monthly ad spending record. In December alone, 10 top Big Pharma brands flooded the airwaves with $217 million in drug ads for expensive medications, including AbbVie’s Humira, Merck’s Keytruda, and Pfizer’s Xeljanz. Big Pharma wants us to think price hikes are necessary to fuel innovation; in reality, price hikes help fuel big marketing campaigns to increase sales. — (FiercePharma)
5. Keep Up the Momentum
- Insulin copay cap laws across seven states came into effect this year, including $100 monthly caps in Washington and Illinois and a $50 monthly cap in Virginia. We applaud these states for taking a step to provide relief to people living with diabetes. — (The Seattle Times, WGN9, Prince William Times)