Here’s hoping Congress lowers drug prices before Hilary Duff finishes telling us how she met our father.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. Congress: Patients Are Counting On You
Patients shared their stories through video, social media, and letters to the editor this week to demand that Congress deliver on promises to address high drug prices by passing reforms in the reconciliation package. “We’ve never been closer. Don’t let this moment slip away,” says Jacquie Persson, a Crohn’s disease patient from Iowa, in a video with 10 other patient advocates. “I live paycheck to paycheck and in constant fear of losing my medications,” shares West Virginia patient Ashley Suder, who lives with lupus, in a Twitter takeover. Travis Paulson, a Minnesota patient who lives with type 1 diabetes, and Jay Gironimi, a Connecticut patient who lives with cystic fibrosis, described their experiences with high drug prices in letters to their local publications. “Patients like myself shouldn’t be forced to decide between financial ruin and detrimental health outcomes,” Jay writes. “Congress has a chance to alleviate this fear for countless Americans by passing the drug pricing legislation included in the reconciliation package — we are counting on them to succeed.” — (P4ADNow, Morrison County Record, Connecticut Post)
2. Rising Prices, Disproportionate Impact
Two new studies this week highlight a trend of rising prescription drug prices and how they exacerbate health disparities. An analysis from the Congressional Budget Office found that the average net price of brand-name drugs in Medicare Part D more than doubled between 2009 and 2018, with annual price increases often surpassing the rate of inflation. High drug prices disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, as Black and Latino seniors, Medicare beneficiaries with chronic health conditions, women, and people with lower incomes are more likely to report difficulties affording their medications, according to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services. As we work towards achieving health equity, we must protect patients from predatory drug pricing. — (Congressional Budget Office, Department of Health and Human Services)
3. The Numbers Are In
As lawmakers worked to include drug pricing reforms in the reconciliation package in 2021, the drug industry spent record amounts on lobbying, with PhRMA spending over $29 million and BIO spending over $13 million. In addition to its lobbying activities, pharma spent over $1.6 billion on TV ads for just 10 drugs last year. Drug companies claim that any reduction in revenue would force them to cut back on research and development and stifle innovation of new drugs. Clearly, that’s just not true. — (Bloomberg Government, FiercePharma)
The next time Wordle needs a five-letter word for price gougers, we’re guessing P-H-R-M-A.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. Big Pharma’s New Year Tradition
A new report from P4AD takes a closer look at the drug industry’s price hikes on 554 medications so far this month, highlights the impact on patients, and calls on Congress to curb rising prices by passing the drug pricing reforms in the Build Back Better Act. The report also spotlights Pfizer, which raised prices on 125 prescription drugs — more than any other company — even after a record-breaking year of sales from its COVID-19 vaccine. “I’ve had to spend my entire paycheck on drug costs,” said patient advocate Ashley Suder, who lives with lupus and takes Pfizer’s Eliquis. “With the price increasing again, I worry about how I’ll make ends meet while still affording my drugs.” — (FiercePharma)
2. Keeping Up The Drumbeat
Last week, P4ADNow released two ads calling on members of Congress to pass a reconciliation package including the already negotiated drug pricing reforms from the Build Back Better Act. The video ad running in Washington, D.C., features three patient advocates who take expensive prescription drugs, and the radio ad running in West Virginia highlights Senator Manchin’s opportunity to deliver on his support for Medicare negotiation. P4ADNow also sent a joint letter with AARP emphasizing that the Senate must take advantage of the moment at hand to pass landmark drug pricing reforms and help alleviate costs for families across the country. — (P4ADNow, P4ADNow, P4ADNow)
3. We’re All Paying The Price
Patients, health advocates, and small business owners wrote to their local publications this week urging Congress to pass a reconciliation bill including drug pricing provisions. “Since [my patient assistance] grants dried up, I have been living with untreated MS. … My ‘golden years’ of retirement haven’t been what I envisioned at all,” writes Delaware patient Janet Schwartz. “When drug corporations don’t negotiate, we all pay,” explains Las Vegas business owner Peter Frigeri. “Lowering drug prices through Medicare negotiations … saves everyone money and makes the system more fair.” — (Bay to Bay News, Charleston Gazette-Mail, Las Vegas Sun)
Drug pricing was trending in 2021. Here’s a look back at patient advocacy wins and progress toward victories in the year to come.
Welcome to the Year in Review.
1. One-On-Ones With The White House
As the Biden administration worked with lawmakers to craft the reconciliation package, patients across the country brought their stories to the highest office in the land. They offered the president their support as he pushes to deliver on his commitment to lower drug prices. Patient advocates Gail deVore, Iesha Meza, and Sa’Ra Skipper, who all live with type 1 diabetes, metwithPresidentBiden at the White House to share their experiences with high insulin prices and discuss the urgent need to include drug pricing reforms in the legislation. Iesha also introduced the president ahead of his December remarks on how the Build Back Better Act will lower drug prices, and Gailfollowed up with Vice President Harris to talk about getting the bill across the finish line.
2. Fighting Pharma’s Falsehoods
The pharmaceutical industry and its front groups worked overtime in 2021 to spread misleading claims that drug pricing reforms will hurt patients, but the facts aren’t on their side. In response, P4AD released an innovation report and a video debunking pharma’s falsehoods that reforms would hinder innovation and explaining how we can have the innovation we need at prices we can afford. To refute unsubstantiated claims that drug price reforms will lead to reduced access to prescription drugs, P4ADNow launched a video and David Mitchell penned an op-ed emphasizing how lower drug prices will increase patient access to medications they need. Pricehikereports show that pharma raises prices at will, resulting in outrageous costs for patients, enormous profits for drug companies, and huge paydays for their executives. To highlight Big Pharma’s web of influence, P4AD released a report detailing how the financial and organizational relationships between drug companies and major patient groups constrain these groups from advocating for meaningful legislation to lower drug prices. Over and over again, independent factcheckers rated pharma and its allies’ claims as false. The truth is that patientsneedMedicarenegotiation now for real relief from high prices, and we must not fall for pharma’s fear-mongering.
3. Congressional Priority: Drug Pricing
This year, Congress is closer than it has been in nearly two decades to addressing high drug prices. Lawmakers wrapped up an investigation into pharmaceutical pricing practices and the House passed the Build Back Better Act including a hardfought compromise on drug pricing reforms. Patientsshared their stories at all of the congressional hearings held on drug pricing and utilized an advocacy hub launched by P4ADNow to voice how they have been harmed by high prescription drug prices. P4AD founder David Mitchell spokeathearings and press conferences about the urgent need for reforms. P4ADNow and influential organizations representing seniors, union workers, and patients ran ad campaigns urging Congress to seize the opportunity to help Americans by lowering drug prices. These groups, along with frontline Democrats, also sentletters to congressionalleadership and pennedop-eds pushing Congress and the White House to include drug pricing reform in the reconciliation package.
In the second year of the pandemic, drug companies pointed to the development of the COVID-19 vaccines as a reason why prices must be kept high — failing to tell the full story involving billions of dollars in government investment in vaccine research and development. P4AD’s David Mitchell penned a New York Times op-ed, Wall Street Journal letter, and blog post that lays out how the government and taxpayersunderwrote the risk while drug companies now stand to shatter sales records and collect billions of dollars from the vaccines. “To all those drug corporations and executives making billions from those of us paying the bills,” Mitchell writes, “You’re welcome.”
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. New Ads: “Patients Can’t Wait Any Longer”
P4ADNow launched two new ads this week in Arizona and West Virginia pushing for passageof the Build Back Better Act. The Arizona TV adfeatures two Arizona patients, Phoenix advocate Iesha Meza and Tucson advocate Brenda Dickason and calls on Senator Sinema to vote for the Build Back Better Act to lower prescription drug prices. The West Virginia radio ad highlights Senator Joe Manchin’s commitment to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for West Virginians, and asks him to pass the Build Back Better Act, especially as Americans are facing higherprices for everything right now. “Senator Manchin supports Medicare negotiation – and to get it done, we’re counting on him to pass the Build Back Better Act,” the ad says. “West Virginia patients can’t wait any longer.”— (P4ADNow, P4ADNow)
2. Letter To The Senate
AARP and P4ADNow sent a letter to the Senate this week calling for the swift passage of Build Back Better and emphasizing the importance of rejecting any amendments that would weaken the drug pricing provisions. “Reducing drug prices is not an afterthought for the American people: It is the single most popular element of the Build Back Better plan,” the letter reads. “If prices for other products rose at the same rate as prescription drugs [over the past 15 years], a gallon of milk would now cost $13, and a gallon of gas would cost $12.20.” — (P4ADNow)
3. “I’m Tired,” Mr. President
The White House released a video highlighting Sa’Ra Skipper, from Indianapolis, who met with President Biden last week. Both Sa’Ra and her younger sister were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a young age. In college, they began sharing and rationing their insulin in order to be able to afford it. After rationing a dose in 2018, Sa’Ra’s sister nearly slipped into a coma because of diabetic ketoacidosis. “I’m tired,” Sa’Ra tells the president in the video. “I’m 26 years old, and I just feel like I haven’t been able to live my life or enjoy it.” the president replies, “It’s wrong…with your help, we’re going to get it done,” referring to the Build Back Better Act. — (@POTUS)
4. How Will BBB Help Patients
P4ADNow’s David Mitchell penned an op-ed in Morning Consult that breaks down how the Build Back Better Act will lower drug prices and deliver relief to Americans who struggle to afford essential medicines. The importance of this historic legislation was emphasized by the House Oversight Committee’s recent report that identifies the need for structural reforms. Mitchell warns that Big Pharma’s fearmongering about this legislation is complete hogwash, and calls on the Senate to follow the House’s lead and resist efforts by the industry to weaken the bill in any way and swiftly pass it intact. “Millions of American lives depend on it.” — (Morning Consult)
5. Americans Rally Around BBB
Patients, community members, leaders, and elected officials in Arizona, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, WestVirginia, and more are calling on Congress to pass the Build Back Better Act to lower drug prices now. “It is time for action,” said Clayton, whose daughter depends on insulin. “I urge them to stop procrastinating & think about their constituents,” Iesha, who lives with Type 1 diabetes, said of the Senate. “Now is his moment to deliver on his commitment by voting for the Build Back Better Act with the included drug pricing reforms,” Laurie of West Virginia writes of Senator Manchin in a letter to the editor. “We have the answer, we have the bill,” says Senator Merkley. Pass BBB now. — (TapInto, Dominion Post, Exponent Telegram, Spectrum News, Record Courier, Senior Spectrum, Chief News, Spectrum News)
Happy holidays from all of us at P4ADNow! Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. Patients Take Stories To The White House
Three patient advocates living with type 1 diabetes shared their stories directly with President Biden and Vice President Harris this week. IeshaMeza, from Phoenix, shared her experiences with high insulin prices and introduced the president ahead of his speech on the drug pricing reforms in the reconciliation package. Sa’RaSkipper, from Indianapolis, also met with President Biden, who went on to mention her story in his speech. The White House also released a video of Gail deVore, a patient advocate from Denver who previously met with the president, speaking with the vice president about the need for Congress to pass the Build Back Better Act to lower drug prices for patients. We are so thankful for all patients speaking out and working tirelessly to pass Build Back Better. — (P4ADNow)
2. This Is Why We Need Drug Pricing Reforms
On Friday, P4AD founder David Mitchell spoke at a press conferencealongside congressional leaders and advocates, including Speaker Pelosi and House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Maloney, revealing the final findings of the committee’s three-year investigation into pharmaceutical pricing practices. The report draws into sharp focus the need for the drug pricing reforms in the Build Back Better Act. “When this bill is signed into law, it will mark a truly historic shift in U.S. policy and deliver long overdue relief to millions of Americans,” Mitchell said. “We are calling on the Senate to pass the legislation, resist efforts by Big Pharma that are still going on to weaken this bill in any way. Millions of American lives depend on it.” — (P4ADNow)
3.Loud And Clear
In a new poll from Morning Consult and Politico, voters from both sides of the aisle say that Medicare negotiation is one of the most important provisions in the Build Back Better Act, with over 40 percent of people naming it as one of their top five issues. Yet again, the polling is clear: Medicare negotiation for lower drug prices is a bipartisan priority for American voters. Now, it’s up to the Senate to deliver on Americans’ wishes. — (Morning Consult)
No Follies or Funny Things (Can) Happen on the Way to the Senate: Pass BBB and Merrily We (Will) Roll Along(RIP Sondheim). Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. Thank You!
On Tuesday, P4ADNow launched new ads thanking six frontline House Democrats for being champions of drug price provisions in the Build Back Better Act. The ads are running in TX-32, MN-02, NJ-03, NH-01, IL-14, and PA-07. In the months leading up to the House passage of the legislation, these representatives signedletters and pennedop-edscalling for the inclusion of Medicare negotiation in the reconciliation package. The ads feature Jackie, a cancer patient whose medication, Revlimid, carries a list price of over $20,000 each month. “On behalf of patients all across this country, we thank Reps. Allred, Craig, Kim, Pappas, Underwood, and Wild for fighting to ensure the inclusion of meaningful drug price reforms in the Build Back Better Act,” said P4ADNow founder David Mitchell. — (P4ADNow)
2. New Jersey Patients Can’t Wait
At a local event with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Pallone, patient advocate Lisa Ann Trainor shared how high drug prices have affected her family and urged her senators to pass the Build Back Better Act with its current drug pricing reforms. “New Jerseyans like me need you to fight for the thousands of us affected by the unaffordable price of our prescription drugs,” Lisa said. “So many New Jerseyans are suffering right now. We don’t have time to wait.” — (InsiderNJ)
3.Congress, We’re Counting On You
As the Build Back Better Act and its drug pricing provisions await a Senate vote, advocacy groups, patients, editorialboards, andAmericansacross the country are united in calling for its swift passage to lower drug prices for patients. The issue is urgent — a new study found that in the years prior to the pandemic, nearly 13 million patients delayed filling or went without prescription medications due to high prices. “There have been times where I could not afford to carry an EpiPen and ended up hospitalized with anaphylactic shock after being exposed to latex,” writesBrenda Dickason, a small business owner and former police detective who lives with asthma and multiple allergies. “As an Arizonan, I am calling on Sen. Sinema to reject Big Pharma’s misinformation and stand firm in her commitment to delivering the drug pricing reforms, as written, in the Build Back Better Act.” — (The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Arizona Daily Star, Star Tribune, The Record-Courier, The Plain Dealer, Urban Institute)
Yesterday, the House Built Back Better. Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. A Historic Milestone
The House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act yesterday, including reforms that are a historic step toward resetting a broken drug pricing system and lowering prices for Americans. If passed into law, the landmark legislation would allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices for the most expensive drugs for the very first time. “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,” said P4ADNow’s David Mitchell. Americans can’twaitanylonger for relief from high drug prices. — (STAT)
2. We Saved Ourselves
This week, P4AD released a video and a fact sheet telling the true origin story of the COVID-19 vaccines. Taxpayers funded years of research into vaccine technology prior to the pandemic and spent billions of dollars developing, manufacturing, and purchasing the vaccines after the pandemic hit. Drug companies took the money and are now set to break records on drug sales, and AstraZeneca announced that it will transition to for-profit pricing. “The moral of the story? Pharma did its job, but it didn’t save us,” the animated video says. “We taxpayers saved ourselves.” — (P4ADNow)
3.Raising Prices, Just Because
A new report from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review identified seven costly drugs, including the best-selling medication Humira, that saw significant price hikes in 2020 without clinical justification. “These treatments have been on the market for many years, with scant evidence that they are any more effective … than when they cost far less.” Drug companies shouldn’t be able to price gouge patients and raise prices at will, forcing too many to choose between paying for their prescription drugs or their bills. It’s time to put a stop to pharma’s predatory pricing practices. — (Reuters)
4. The Savings Are Negligible
Semglee, an insulin biosimilar to Lantus that was approved earlier this year, is priced at $269 per vial — less than $20 lower than the price of Lantus. While the industry touted this change as an “affordable alternative” price, this is really just another example of how biosimilar drugs can still be priced out of reach for patients instead of providing significant savings. The entire pharmaceutical chain, which continues to exploit patients for maximum profits, is due for reform. — (Axios)
5. Lifting The Veil On Drug Prices
A new rule from the Biden administration requires insurance companies to report the highest-cost drugs to the government. The transparency measure, which will allow policymakers to identify ways to lower prices, is another step in the right direction toward building a more fair drug pricing system for the people it is supposed to serve: patients. — (FierceHealthcare)
One more thing: P4ADNow founder David Mitchell appeared on Inside America with Ghida Fakhry to discuss the popularity of drug pricing reforms like Medicare negotiation and the fight to get the legislation passed this year.
“Paid for by PhRMA.” ????????? Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. The Lies They Tell
In an op-ed for Business Insider, P4ADNow founder David Mitchell sets the record straight point-by-point on the false claims perpetuated by the pharma lobby and its front groups in fear-mongering ads. “Big Pharma may not have found a cure for my cancer, but it has perfected the science of twisting facts that it doesn’t like to scare patients like me into believing that lowering drug prices will bring us great harm,” Mitchell writes. “If Big Pharma spent more time working on innovative new drugs and less time protecting its power to dictate high prices, we’d get more of what we seek: innovation we need at prices we can afford.” — (Business Insider)
2. Americans Choose Medicare Negotiation
A new Kaiser Family Foundation survey shows that Americans don’t believe Big Pharma’s lies that Medicare negotiation will harm new drug development. In fact, an overwhelming majority support negotiation even after hearing Big Pharma’s fear-mongering arguments. Additional polls show that Americans believe Medicare negotiation is one of the top reasons to pass the Build Back Better plan, and in states like Arizona and New Jersey, 94 percent and 77 percent of voters, respectively, support the reform. We can save millions of lives now by passing legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. Congress, let’s get it done. — (Kaiser Health News, Axios)
3.Pharma Puts A Price On Our Lives
P4ADNow patient advocate Hailey Adkisson, whose daughter was born with a rare form of childhood epilepsy and required a medication that cost $280,000 per course, spoke at an event with Senator Wyden last Friday about why Americans need Medicare negotiation now and the toll that high drug prices take on families. “Throughout this epilepsy journey, I have met many families who have had to make incredibly difficult decisions in order to avoid expensive medications,” Hailey said. “How do you say no to a potentially life-saving drug for your child?” — (The Portland Tribune)
4. A False Choice
Medicare negotiation would allow for both robust drug innovation and more affordable drugs to improve patient access, writes oncologist and health policy expert Ezekiel Emanuel in Politico, adding that proposed legislation would still result in more than 95 percent of new drugs coming to market. “This hardly constitutes the ‘end of innovation’ that drug companies and others ominously warn is inevitable with any price regulation,” Emanuel writes. “What it does mean is that tens of millions of Americans … might finally be able to afford to take the medications that could save their lives.” — (Politico)
