Welcome to the Week in Review.
Senate HELP Markup on Affordability Bills Next Week
The Senate HELP Committee is set to markup several bipartisan bills on Wednesday aimed at increasing competition and lowering drug prices. Among them are three P4ADNow-endorsed bills, including the Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act (S. 1954), which would reduce unnecessary regulatory hurdles that slow the adoption of lower-cost biosimilars, the Medication Affordability and Patent Integrity Act (S. 2658), which would strengthen oversight of the patent system and close loopholes that delay competition, and the Ensuring Timely Access to Generics Act of 2025 (S. 3014), which targets sham tactics that block generic entry. Patients in our community are actively urging lawmakers to support these measures, which would bring more affordable alternatives to market. We will be closely monitoring the markup and will share any updates as it moves forward. — [Congress, Congress, Congress]
Polling Shows Strong Demand for Lower Drug Prices — and Action from Congress
New polling shows overwhelming bipartisan support for lowering drug prices, with 91% of battleground voters backing policies to align U.S. prices with those in other countries and 9 in 10 saying it’s important for Congress to act. A majority (65%) support Congress passing legislation to codify a most-favored-nation approach. The findings reinforce what patients have been saying for years: Americans are tired of paying significantly more than people in other countries and want meaningful action to drive down prices. With U.S. brand-name drugs costing on average 4 times more than in other wealthy nations, a well-designed MFN policy has the potential to deliver lower prices for patients, but voluntary time-bound deals alone won’t get there. The current MFN agreements lack transparency and enforcement mechanisms. — [PRA, POLITICO]
New Op-Ed from P4AD’s Merith Basey: “Big Pharma lost in court. Congress shouldn’t bail them out.”
In a new op-ed in The Hill, P4AD CEO Merith Basey argues that after the Supreme Court rejected challenges from six major drugmakers seeking to overturn Medicare drug price negotiation, the industry will only increase their focus on Capitol Hill. The piece highlights the real-world impact of Medicare negotiation, including the story of Judy Aiken, a retired nurse from Maine whose monthly cost for Enbrel fell by 67 percent under the program. It also warns that industry-backed legislation, including the EPIC Act, would delay negotiation for many medicines and keep prices higher for patients. You can read the full op-ed at the link here. — [The Hill]
Insulin Cap Expansion Gains Bipartisan Momentum
Legislation to expand Medicare’s $35 monthly insulin cap to the commercial market is gaining traction, with four new bipartisan co-sponsors bringing the total to 22. The bill would extend the cap to employer and marketplace plans, and create a pilot program to provide low-cost insulin to uninsured patients. The push builds on the success of the Medicare cap, which has significantly reduced out-of-pocket costs for seniors, like Bob Parant, who have struggled with the high cost of their insulin for decades. Polling shows expanding the cap to people beyond Medicare is popular, and patients living with diabetes know relief from high insulin prices is well overdue. — [The Hill, P4AD, KFF]
Patient Advocate Spotlight
Name: Andrea Bertram
Condition: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Type 2 Diabetes
Drugs: Ocrevus ($63,000 / year) and Mounjaro
Background: Patient Advocate from Johnstown, Pennsylvania
In Her Words: “As the disease progressed, I became medically disabled and a victim of the outrageously high medical costs this condition carries. Unfortunately, every day is a new battle and a new test to maintain self-autonomy of my body and my brain.
“For three years now I have taken Ocrevus, a drug that carries a list price of over $21,700 per vial. I receive this medication every six months at the cost of $63,000 every year, which is thankfully covered by a grant from the manufacturer and previously covered by an income-dependent foundation grant. And this outrageously high price is even an improvement from my previous drug, Copaxone, which used to cost me $7,700 every month.
“I only live on an income of $30,000, and the high costs of both my medications have forced me to shuffle bills around to pay for my medication or just rack up debt on a credit card. Living life like this is not easy or fair. Patients deserve better treatment and more affordable drug prices.”
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