Welcome to the Week in Review.
High Healthcare Costs Force Sacrifice and Life Delays for Americans
In the last year, 29% of Americans delayed taking a vacation, 26% delayed medical treatment, and 11% skipped meals, all due to the high cost of healthcare. That’s according to a new West Health-Gallup study examining how rising out-of-pocket healthcare costs are affecting Americans. The study found that roughly one-third of respondents, roughly 82 million Americans, made at least one trade-off last year to afford healthcare-related costs, including prescription drugs. Nearly one in 10 adults — or an estimated 24 million Americans — say they have postponed their retirement due to healthcare costs, and an estimated 18 million Americans report delaying a job change. It’s an issue harming Americans across income levels but far more common among people who do not have health insurance. Patients shouldn’t be forced to sacrifice basic needs and major life plans just to afford staying healthy. — [Gallup, Washington Post, Axios]
Ozempic & Wegovy Could Be Produced at $3 — But Not In America
When key semaglutide patents expire this month in countries including India, Canada, China, Turkey, and Brazil, generic versions of the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy could be produced for as little as ~$3 per person per month at the standard dose of 2.4 milligrams per week. While that figure reflects estimated manufacturing cost — not final retail price — it underscores how dramatically U.S. list prices are marked up at the expense of American patients, even after Novo Nordisk’s recent price cuts. As generic access expands abroad, the contrast will further expose how America’s patent system enables manufacturers to extend monopolies through dense patent thickets and block lower-cost competition. — [MedRxIV, STAT News, Wall Street Journal]
FDA Moves to Streamline Biosimilar Approvals
The FDA issued new draft guidance allowing biosimilar manufacturers to rely on comparison data from products approved outside the United States, reducing duplicative study requirements. This comes after the FDA’s December draft guidance, which would eliminate unnecessary “switching” studies when clinical evidence already demonstrates equivalence to the reference brand-name drug. Together, these steps could accelerate biosimilar entry and build on the $56 billion in savings biosimilars have generated since 2015. P4AD supports reforms such as the bipartisan Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act, which would codify many of these practices into law. But regulatory streamlining alone won’t fix a market still shaped by patent thickets, pay-for-delay deals, and formulary tactics that suppress uptake. These structural barriers must be addressed in tandem so that faster approvals can translate into lower prices at the pharmacy counter. — [Axios, Bloomberg Law, Congress, Bloomberg, UnDark]
In Case You Missed It
This week, Yale launched their new Health Care Affordability Lab led by Dr. Zack Cooper to promote policy to lower healthcare costs, including research summaries and data visualization tools. — [Yale]
Patient Advocate Spotlight: Samantha Norris
Condition: Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Drug: Chemotherapy and cancer medications (priced at over $1 million a year)
Background: Tenant rights lawyer living in Auburn Hills, Michigan
In Her Words: “The drugs keeping my Hodgkin’s lymphoma in remission are priced at more than $1 million a year. I’m currently $20,000 in debt due to my health challenges, including covering the exorbitant prices of my medications. Bills arrive all the time, and I’m overwhelmed by the prices of my drugs.”
“To keep advocating for others, I need to afford my medications. But with prices so high, there are no guarantees I’ll be able to afford the medicine I need to live. Congress needs to understand what is at stake for me and other cancer patients and lower the prices of our prescription drugs.”
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Welcome to the Week in Review.
TrumpRx MFN Deals Are Designed to Run Out
The Trump administration has promoted its Most Favored Nation agreements with pharmaceutical companies as a breakthrough on drug pricing, but recent SEC filings reveal that at least some of the 16 participating companies structured their deals to expire after three years. Additional disclosures from Merck and Sanofi show that certain high-cost and newly launched products are excluded all together. This week, Democratic health leaders in the House and Senate sent a letter demanding these deals be made public, but even without the full picture, early patient feedback suggests limited impact. P4AD CEO Merith Basey noted in a statement for STAT News that one month into TrumpRx: “For several patients in our community, TrumpRx prices are the same or even higher than what they currently pay with insurance.” The design raises a broader concern. Voluntary agreements that exclude key products and sunset within a few years do not create the long-term, systemwide savings that patients need. Americans need permanent reform with real enforcement, not deals relying on the “goodwill” of drug corporations that are designed to run out. — [STAT News, Merck, Sanofi, Congress, STAT News]
GENEROUS Model Deadline Extended
The White House extended the application deadline for its new GENEROUS CMMI model by a month, pushing it to April 30 to allow more time for more manufacturers to sign up, though they also noted that the final deadline for participation is June 30. The program aims to secure supplemental rebates from drugmakers to bring certain Medicaid drug prices in line with lower international benchmarks. While companies such as Pfizer and AstraZeneca already signed on, others remain reluctant. But even if the model achieves broad uptake, its patient impact is likely limited. Medicaid already has among the lowest net drug prices of any other U.S. payer, meaning further reductions are more likely to benefit state budgets than significantly reduce patient out-of-pocket costs. — [Fierce Pharma, STAT News]
Patient Advocate Spotlight: Trevor Watts
Condition: Type 2 diabetes
Drug: Farxiga ($178.50 negotiated price)
Background: Retired glazier and Habitat for Humanity volunteer living in Roseburg, Oregon
In Her Words: “My health journey took an unexpected turn when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 62. Managing my health hasn’t been easy, especially financially. Before negotiation, my Farxiga prescription meant sacrificing things like a better vehicle and not traveling to see family. Even basic needs like dental care had to be put on hold. One of the most significant sacrifices was neglecting repairs to my damaged roof due to the costs of medicine.”
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Welcome to the Week in Review.
GLOBE & GUARD Face Industry Pushback as Details Take Shape
The proposed GLOBE and GUARD models are mandatory CMMI programs with savings potential for the Medicare program. The initiatives aim to use the rebate infrastructure of the Inflation Reduction Act to test alternative payment approaches for high-cost drugs and lower costs in Medicare Part B and Part D. However, key design choices warrant scrutiny. The models rely in part on manufacturer-submitted data to establish international pricing benchmarks, creating risk that incomplete or strategic reporting could blunt their impact. In addition, exemptions for manufacturers that enter into voluntary Most Favored Nation agreements could limit the programs reach if broadly applied. The GUARD model also runs the risk of increasing cost sharing for patients. P4AD submitted comments on both models recommending safeguards to strengthen transparency, durability, and affordability for patients. Early comments submitted by PhRMA and BIO suggest the industry is preparing legal challenges questioning CMS’s authority, leveraging their nearly-endless litigation resources in a standard pharma tactic that is currently being employed against Medicare Negotiation. GLOBE and GUARD have the potential to reduce Medicare spending, and the former could meaningfully lower out-of-pocket costs for patients — but their effectiveness will depend on both design integrity and the agency’s ability to withstand anticipated opposition. — [STAT News, P4AD, P4AD, STAT News, Endpoints News]
The State of Drug Pricing
While we welcomed President Trump’s strong rhetoric on drug prices during the State of the Union address, the administration’s current approach centers on voluntary direct-to-consumer and Most Favored Nation deals and falls short of systemic reform. These arrangements do not broadly lower drug prices across the market, and exclude many of the highest-cost and most widely used medications. The president called for Congress to codify an enforceable MFN-style policy, which could be a meaningful step toward bringing U.S. prices in line with those paid by other high-income countries, depending on the policy passed. However, any attempts at codification require the details of these MFN deals to be released — something PhRMA CEO Stephen Ubl has vehemently opposed as recently as last week. Lasting affordability requires structural reform that meaningfully constrains monopoly pricing power, including mandatory programs like Medicare negotiation that deliver measurable savings at the pharmacy counter. — [POLITICO, P4AD]
Novo to Lower Wegovy & Ozempic List Prices but Additional Action Still Needed
Novo Nordisk announced it will lower the list price of blockbuster GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Wegovy to $675 a month starting January 1, 2027. While reductions in a drug’s list price are welcome — particularly for patients facing high deductibles or no coverage — many insurance plans still don’t cover GLP-1 drugs to treat obesity. This list price change is likely to benefit people with commercial insurance, as both drugs are included in the second round of Medicare negotiation, where the price will fall to $274 a month, roughly 60% lower than Novo’s announced list price — and on the same January 1, 2027 date. Unlike voluntary cuts, negotiated prices are enforceable, durable, and do not depend solely on the good will of the pharmaceutical industry. The contrast underscores a broader point: temporary discounts can shift headlines, but structural reform delivers more reliable savings for a broader swath of the population. — [Wall Street Journal, STAT News]
ICYMI
Last week, P4AD CEO Merith Basey joined The Washington Post Intelligence’s panel, “Washington’s New Push on Drug Pricing,” as well asPhRMA Executive Vice President of Policy and Research Elizabeth Carpenter for a discussion on drug pricing policies including Medicare negotiation, PBM reforms, rising launch prices, and the latest pricing proposals. You can watch the full briefing here. — [Washington Post]
Patient Advocate Spotlight: Susan Vigen
Condition: Severe overactive bladder and interstitial cystitis
Drug: Myrbetriq (Listed at $1,677 / 90 day supply, with a monthly copay that increased from $120 to $365 in 2024)
Background: Patient advocate from South Carolina
In Her Words: “Myrbetriq has a monthly copay responsibility for me that increased from $120 to $365 every 90 days starting in the fall of 2024. This is simply too expensive for me and while there is a generic version of the drug called Mirabegron, my insurance will not cover it. Thus, I am left constantly looking for cheaper pharmacies and ways to save.”
“As someone who used to work in the pharmaceutical industry for about 17 years on the data management side, I understand the cost of bringing a drug to market and the need for some profit making to be made, however, I am now the patient feeling the financial frustration.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to this evening’s State of the Union Address and President Trump’s statements on prescription drug prices, which focused primarily on TrumpRx and codifying a Most Favored Nation framework, Patients For Affordable Drugs Now CEO Merith Basey issued the following statement:
“While we welcome the strong rhetoric about the urgent need to lower prescription drug prices, the reality is that nearly 50 percent of Americans are worried about their ability to afford a health care cost this year, and U.S. patients currently pay between four and eight times more than those in other high-income countries for the very same brand-name drugs.
The administration has announced voluntary, direct-to-consumer and Most Favored Nation agreements, but these arrangements do not automatically lower drug prices across the entire system, nor do they apply to most high-cost or widely used medications.
If Congress codifies a strong, enforceable MFN-style policy into law, it could be a meaningful step toward bringing U.S. prices in line with those paid by other high-income countries. The details will determine whether it will truly deliver lasting savings.
In a system that has long favored drug corporations over patients, Americans urgently need further structural reform that permanently limits the monopoly pricing power of drug companies and lowers costs at the pharmacy counter.”
Background
Protect and Expand Medicare Negotiation
Eliminate Patent Abuse and Increase Competition
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Patients For Affordable Drugs Now is the only national, patient advocacy organization focused exclusively on policies to lower drug prices. We empower and mobilize patients and allies, hold accountable those in power, and fight to shape and achieve system-changing policies that make prescription drugs affordable for all people in the United States. P4ADNow is bipartisan and does not accept funding from organizations that profit from the development or distribution of prescription drugs. To learn more, visit: PatientsForAffordableDrugsNOW.org
Welcome to the Week in Review.
Pushback: Pharma’s “IRA Watchdog” Analysis Misrepresents Medicare Negotiation
A recent report from DLA Piper argues that Medicare drug price negotiation is failing to deliver meaningful savings to seniors, but the analysis relies on false assumptions and flawed methodology, misrepresenting the truth. DLA Piper houses IRA Watchdog, a group backed by Bristol Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Merck, and Eli Lilly — several of which are simultaneously suing to block negotiation. The report narrowly defines “savings” in a manner that does not account for all drug pricing provisions, excluding key reforms such as the out-of-pocket cap and $35 insulin cap, inflation rebates, and Part D redesign. The headline claim that “only 11% of seniors save” relies on a restrictive framing; the same analysis notes that 15% of beneficiaries take a negotiated drug and 73% of those beneficiaries see lower cost sharing. The report also characterizes drugs like Tradjenta entering renegotiation due to generic or biosimilar competition as a negative for patients. Tradjenta’s lower negotiated price may no longer go into effect, but it’s because the drug now has competition — and competition often drives prices even lower than negotiated rates. Furthermore, the analysis incorrectly attributes trends that predate Medicare negotiation, such as premium increases, to the IRA. In short, the analysis minimizes documented savings, overstates access concerns, and is intended to advance the industry’s efforts to weaken negotiation. Lawmakers shouldn’t be fooled by these claims and should understand the financial interests behind them. — [DLA Piper, P4ADNow, Bloomberg Law, FightPharma]
E&C Health Subcommittee Hearing Results In Familiar Finger-Pointing
Representatives from across the drug supply chain, including PhRMA, BIO, Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA), and other industry groups, testified before the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee this week. Notably absent were any patient voices. As expected, PhRMA blamed PBMs, PBMs blamed drug makers, and the structural drivers of high list prices received less scrutiny than they warranted. Still, several members of the committee pressed on core affordability issues. Lawmakers challenged PhRMA’s repeated claim that high drug prices are necessary for innovation, while others called attention to the secrecy surrounding drugmakers’ MFN pricing deals with President Trump, prompting PhRMA’s COO, Lori Reilly, to tell Congress that “you’ll have to take our word” that the agreements are good for patients. Pharma demands transparency from other actors in the supply chain, but when it comes to the prices they set, they insist we just have to trust them. Members also highlighted patent thickets and exclusivity tactics that extend monopolies well beyond statutory protections, delaying generic competition and driving up costs. While each sector debated its share of the dollar, one fact remains clear: brand-name drug companies play the biggest role in determining what patients will ultimately pay. — [E&C, YouTube, YouTube, YouTube, Washington Post, POLITICO, Roll Call]
TrumpRx: Hype vs. Reality
TrumpRx.gov is officially live, but important questions remain about its scope and impact. For 33 of the 43 drugs currently listed, TrumpRx’s prices match those already available on GoodRx, and reporting from STAT News indicates that at least 18 drugs have lower-cost generics available elsewhere. TrumpRx excludes many of the most widely prescribed and high-cost medications, including blockbuster drugs like Keytruda and Eliquis. Drugs on TrumpRx are also done through voluntary deals, and we have few details on how long their inclusion will last. For a small subset of patients — particularly those on certain GLP-1 or IVF drugs — the discounts could be meaningful, but for most Americans, including many cash-paying patients who can already find lower prices elsewhere, the real-world impact is likely limited, despite being marketed as a life-changing solution for millions. — [P4AD, STAT News, CBS News, Barron’s, Fierce Pharma, Common Dreams]
AbbVie Files Lawsuit against Medicare Negotiation
Just two weeks after Botox and Botox Cosmetic were named as drugs to be included in the third round of Medicare Drug Price Negotiations, manufacturer AbbVie, has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the program. AbbVie argues that, as a plasma-derived product, Botox should be ineligible for negotiation under CMS guidance. The company also claims the program violates the First and Fifth Amendments by compelling speech through the negotiation framework and interfering with private property rights – constitutional arguments that closely mirror those raised in earlier pharmaceutical industry lawsuits challenging the program. While courts have repeatedly rejected similar constitutional claims brought by other manufacturers, AbbVie’s assertion that Botox qualifies as exempt on the basis of being plasma-derived marks a new line of argument in the ongoing litigation against Medicare negotiation. Botox is not simply a cosmetic product – it’s also used to treat a range of serious chronic conditions. Yet AbbVie is suing to protect its billions in profits rather than allow Medicare to secure lower prices for nearly 400,000 people on Medicare who rely on these medicines. — [P4AD, Bloomberg Law, Reuters, Endpoints News, Fierce Pharma, BioSpace, Law360]
ICYMI
In addition to driving down prices, Medicare negotiation is also expanding coverage of included medications. A new analysis from KFF finds that in 2026, all Part D enrollees have coverage of the first 10 negotiated drugs — including all dosages and forms — as required through the IRA. Coverage rates improved for multiple formulations of 9 of the 10 drugs compared to 2025, with especially large gains for insulin products Fiasp and NovoLog and certain doses of the cancer drug Imbruvica. The impact of Medicare negotiation for patients extends far beyond lower negotiated prices. — [KFF]
Patient Advocate Spotlight: Stacy Dyke
Condition: Hemiplegic Migraines, Occipital Neuralgia, Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, and Fibromyalgia
Drugs: Nurtec, Spravato, Reyvow, Trudhesa, and Zavzpret (totaling ~$8,500 per month list price)
Background: Patient advocate from Shreveport, Louisiana
In Her Words: “I’m navigating a medical system that often feels designed against me. Each day is a battle against relentless pain, a battle made even harder by the exorbitant cost of treatment. I’ve cycled through countless medication trials, from ineffective generics to brand-name drugs that carry a hefty price tag — commonly ranging from $400 to $6,000 a month each, and forcing me into a continuous struggle to afford my medications. Life often feels like a never-ending game of chess, constantly strategizing to manipulate a broken system and anticipate the next move. This shouldn’t be our reality.”
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Welcome to the Week in Review.
TrumpRx Officially Launches
The Trump administration rolled out TrumpRx.gov, a new federal website intended to connect patients with manufacturer discounts on roughly 40 prescription drugs. While the program centralizes manufacturer-run discount and DTC offerings, it does not sell medications directly, and does not change how drug pricing works in the U.S. For most Americans, particularly the ~85% who have insurance, the site is unlikely to significantly lower their costs, as drugs purchased through TrumpRx do not count toward deductibles or out-of-pocket limits. While the program may offer short-term relief to some patients, it’s not a substitute for enforceable, system-wide reforms. TrumpRx was initially slated to release in January, with the delay speculated to be caused by concerns over federal anti-kickback laws. Patients in our community will soon learn if they can reliably access these discounts at the pharmacy counter, where the program will ultimately be tested and where affordability matters most. — [TrumpRx, Senate, Sen. Durbin, Public Citizen, White House, White House, STAT News, BioSpace, MedPage Today]
FTC Settles PBM Insulin Price-Gouging Case with Express Scripts
The FTC announced a settlement with Cigna’s Express Scripts, resolving claims that the pharmacy benefit manager engaged in practices that artificially inflated insulin prices and harmed patients. The settlement included welcome reforms designed to base patient cost-sharing on a drug’s net price, ensure fairer reimbursement for community pharmacies, and delink PBM compensation from list prices — similar to reforms included in the spending package passed earlier in the week, which focused on delinking in Medicare. CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx control roughly 80% of prescriptions filled in the U.S., and the FTC’s 2025 report found that PBMs generated $7.4 billion by inflating the prices of 51 lifesaving drugs between 2017 and 2022. The FTC’s cases against CVS Caremark and OptumRx remain ongoing. Ultimately, patients will judge the impact of this settlement by what they pay at the pharmacy counter. — [FTC, P4ADNow, FTC, Axios, New York Times, Endpoints News, STAT News, Bloomberg, Healthcare Dive, Pink Sheet]
Funding Package Includes Prescription Drug Reforms
P4AD-supported prescription drug pricing reforms were signed into law on Tuesday as part of the government spending package. The package included the so-called Q1/Q2 provision requiring clearer guidance on ingredient differences in generic drug applications to save generic manufacturers time and money in bringing lower-cost alternatives to market. And for the first time ever, Congress passed PBM reforms that would increase transparency and accountability by delinking PBM compensation from drug prices in Medicare Part D, curbing incentives to steer patients toward more expensive prescription drugs and bolstering pricing data reporting requirements. P4AD will continue to push for further reforms that tackle the root causes of high drug prices and rein in Big Pharma. — [Healthcare Finance, P4AD, Washington Post, Fierce Healthcare, BioSpace, Managed Healthcare Executive]
The Growing Success of Medicare Drug-Price Negotiation
In a new article published by the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Benjamin Rome and Dr. Aaron Kesselheim find that Medicare drug price negotiation is gaining durability and momentum. The authors note that the program will now have been implemented across two administrations using the same statutory process, strengthening its staying power, with its legality also being repeatedly upheld in court despite industry challenges. They warn that the most imminent threat comes not from the courts, but from pharma-backed carveouts like the ORPHAN Cures Act, which have already blocked negotiation for blockbuster drugs such as Keytruda and Opdivo, and new proposals to delay negotiation for small-molecule drugs, like the EPIC Act. P4AD strongly opposes these bills, and our patient advocates continue to fight relentlessly to halt industry efforts to weaken or roll back this critical program.
Senate Democrats Outline Three-Pillared Drug Pricing Plan
Senate Finance Committee Democrats sent a letter to their colleagues this week outlining their plans for drug pricing reforms. Authored by Ranking Member Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Cortez Masto (D-NV), Sen. Welch (D-VT), and Sen. Gallego (D-AZ), the letter outlined a three-pillar plan emphasizing the importance of Medicare negotiation and advocating for the program’s expansion, counteracting abusive practices and middlemen in the drug supply chain, and bolstering drug innovation by restoring NIH funding and reducing delays in FDA approval processes. With nine in ten Americans calling on Congress to take further action on lowering prescription drug costs, reforming U.S. drug pricing is broadly popular across the aisle. — [Bloomberg, Inside Health Policy]
Patient Advocate Spotlight: Judy Aiken
Condition: Psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis
Drugs: Enbrel ($2,355 / month, down from over $7,000 list price/month before negotiations)
Background: Retired nurse from Portland, Maine
In Her Words: “Seeing Enbrel on the list of drugs to be negotiated first allows me to take a deeper breath, have hope, and honestly live a better life. Enbrel’s high price has been a real burden, a constant anxiety. A better deal on this drug is life-changing for me and thousands of patients and me.”
“This year, my copay for my first refill of Enbrel was $850, much better than the whole $2,100 cap at once.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — This evening, the Trump administration rolled out TrumpRx.gov, a new federal website intended to connect patients with manufacturer discounts on certain high-cost prescription drugs. In response to the announcement, P4AD CEO Merith Basey released the following statement:
“It is no secret that Americans are desperate for lower drug prices, and efforts to bring U.S. prices in line with those in other high-income nations are urgently needed. We share the goal of addressing high drug prices and are encouraged to see the Administration keep this issue front and center.
The steep discounts on select medications will be especially welcomed by patients struggling to afford GLP-1s. However, these voluntary agreements lack clear enforcement mechanisms and still put the power to set and increase prices firmly in the hands of pharmaceutical corporations.
Patients in our community will soon learn if they can reliably access these discounts at the pharmacy counter, where the program will ultimately be tested and where affordability matters most.”
At the time of launch, TrumpRx.gov features discounted prices on 40 brand-name medicines offered by a limited number of manufacturers.
Drugs available through TrumpRx must be purchased with cash and do not count toward insurance deductibles or out-of-pocket limits. While some medications are offered through manufacturer coupon cards that may be used at local pharmacies, others are only available through manufacturers’ direct-to-consumer websites or a limited set of mail-order pharmacies. Pharmacies and manufacturers are not required to participate, and there is currently no known standardized process to ensure these discounts will be consistently accepted at the pharmacy counter.
The pricing commitments are voluntary and not backed by statute, with no clear penalties if manufacturers withdraw products or change terms. Most importantly, the program does not address drug list prices, leaving the underlying drivers of high costs untouched.
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Patients For Affordable Drugs Now is the only national, patient advocacy organization focused exclusively on policies to lower drug prices. We empower and mobilize patients and allies, hold accountable those in power, and fight to shape and achieve system-changing policies that make prescription drugs affordable for all people in the United States. P4ADNow is bipartisan and does not accept funding from organizations that profit from the development or distribution of prescription drugs. To learn more, visit: PatientsForAffordableDrugsNOW.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, President Trump signed into law a government spending bill that includes bipartisan prescription drug pricing reforms long supported by Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. The provision known as Q1/Q2, previously included in the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, and the PBM reforms incorporated in the package are key steps toward lowering prescription drug prices by strengthening competition and increasing transparency in the drug supply chain.
Merith Basey, CEO of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, released the following statement:
“We’re encouraged to see the inclusion of several bipartisan reforms in today’s spending package that patients fought hard for. The U.S. is in urgent need of a prescription drug system that serves patients, not one that rewards middlemen and entrenched monopolies. Strengthening competition and increasing transparency are key to lowering prescription drug prices. One in three Americans is unable to afford their prescriptions, and Congress must go further to tackle the root causes of high drug prices and rein in Big Pharma.”
The package includes:
These measures were previously included in the bipartisan health package that nearly passed in December 2024.
Looking ahead, patients continue to call on Congress to take more aggressive action to lower prescription drug prices. While increased PBM guard rails are a meaningful first step towards increasing accountability and transparency, it will not independently solve the problem of high drug prices or rein in pharmaceutical monopolies.
Patients continue to urge lawmakers to confront more of the practices that keep drug prices high — including patent thickets, product hopping, and pay-for-delay deals — and to advance bipartisan competition reforms that would shorten monopoly periods and speed lower-cost generics and biosimilars to market.
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Patients For Affordable Drugs Now is the only national, patient advocacy organization focused exclusively on policies to lower drug prices. We empower and mobilize patients and allies, hold accountable those in power, and fight to shape and achieve system-changing policies that make prescription drugs affordable for all people in the United States. P4ADNow is bipartisan and does not accept funding from organizations that profit from the development or distribution of prescription drugs. To learn more, visit: PatientsForAffordableDrugsNOW.org