WASHINGTON, D.C. — The following statement was issued by David Mitchell, a cancer patient and founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, in response to President Biden’s speech on how his Build Back Better agenda will lower prescription drug prices: 

“President Biden’s speech today adds powerful momentum for reforms to lower prescription drug prices and for direct Medicare negotiation specifically. He couldn’t have said it more clearly: ‘These prices put the squeeze on too many families and strip them of their dignity … Medicare is going to negotiate a fair price!’ His conversation with patient advocate Gail deVore demonstrated once again that this president understands and will use the power of his office to achieve reforms we need and 90 percent of Americans support.

“The president also offered important details on his approach that we support, including focusing on a subset of expensive drugs, creating a framework for what constitutes a fair price to guide negotiators, powerful incentives to ensure companies agree to a reasonable price, penalties for raising prices faster than inflation, making lower negotiated prices available in the private sector, and capping out-of-pocket costs for patients. These comprise a strong, comprehensive set of policies to help all Americans.

“Today, I am more optimistic than ever that we are going to get this done.”

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