WASHINGTON, D.C. — The following statement was issued by David Mitchell, a cancer patient and founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, following the House of Representatives’ passage of the Build Back Better Act:
“We achieved an historic milestone today as the House of Representatives stood up to Big Pharma and passed the Build Back Better Act, including reforms to restructure drug pricing policy in America and provide long overdue relief to Americans who struggle to afford essential medicines. We are grateful to Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Pallone, and so many champions in the House for their dedicated leadership and determined effort to reach a consensus that will lower drug prices for patients and the American people.
“While the drug pricing provisions are not as expansive as we would have wished, they will help millions of Americans in the coming years while laying a foundation that can be built upon in the future. The legislation will, for the first time, authorize direct negotiation for some of the most expensive prescription medicines, including insulin; institute a hard cap on out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries; and limit annual price increases to stop price gouging by drug corporations — a provision that will help every American.
“The drug price reforms included in the Build Back Better Act represent a hard-fought compromise. On behalf of patients, we urge the Senate to move swiftly to pass the Build Back Better Act with the current drug pricing legislation intact, and to resist efforts by Big Pharma to weaken it in any way. Millions of American lives depend on it.”
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