Patients Share Stories at Oversight Committee Hearing on Drug Company Price Gouging
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Four patient advocates will deliver recorded testimonials before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform this week at hearings investigating drug company pricing practices. The patient advocates will share their experiences with four high-cost drugs made by pharmaceutical corporations under investigation by the committee.
“Millions of patients across America have been the victims of predatory pricing practices by drug corporations that prioritize profit maximization over public health,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “Today, patients will stand up to those companies and their CEOs, share their stories, and call on members of Congress to enact reforms to stop Big Pharma’s abusive practices.”
Read a copy of David Mitchell’s testimony submitted for the public record here.
Watch the patient advocates’ testimonials at the hearing here starting at 10 AM today. Below are some highlights of their stories:
Ramae Hamrin, Bemidji, MN, multiple myeloma: Ramae, a single mom with two kids in college, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2018. She relies on Revlimid to stay healthy — but faces terrifying financial burdens to afford the very high price of her medication.
“In order to keep taking this drug, I will have to deplete my life savings, cash out my 401(k), and sell my house. When those funds run out, I’m not sure what I will do. Usually, I am a planner — but I cannot plan for this. I am terrified for my future.”
Therese Humphrey Ball, Portage, IN, multiple sclerosis: When Therese was first prescribed Copaxone in 2003, it cost $1,800 a month and wiped out her savings. By 2017, when Therese lost grant assistance, the price of the drug had risen to $6,000 a month, and Therese was forced to forgo the medication.
“When I was not on the drug, I lost short-term memory and experienced other declines in my cognitive functions. This makes it difficult for me to enjoy doing the things I love, like spending time with my grandchildren. My condition shouldn’t progress faster just because drug companies want to make a few extra bucks.”
Kip Burgess, Chicago, IL, psoriatic arthritis: Kip is a father, an avid cyclist, and a psychologist. At 30, he was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. In order to treat the debilitating pain that his condition causes, Kip takes Enbrel, a drug priced at $6,000 a month.
“If my ability to cover those costs goes away, I know I will go back to waking up every morning in pain. These risks cause crippling anxiety on top of the burden of the disease itself. In order to avoid these interruptions in my dosing, I’ve been forced to dip into my savings and jeopardize my financial health to preserve my physical health.”
Heidi Kendall, Missoula, MT, chronic myeloid leukemia: In 2017, Heidi was diagnosed with a blood cancer called chronic myeloid leukemia. To treat it, Heidi was prescribed the drug, Gleevec, which she must take every day for the rest of her life. The price tag is $10,000 per month.
“I’m so grateful for Gleevec. It keeps me alive. But the price tag constantly hangs over my head. Instead of just focusing on my family and my health, I also have to carry around the burden of what would happen if I couldn’t pay for it.”
The four drugs featured in the patient advocates’ testimonials are textbook examples of price gouging and patent abuse.
Revlimid, a cancer drug developed by Celgene and currently sold by Bristol Myers Squibb, costs Medicare more than almost any other drug but is used by fewer than 40,000 patients — less than 0.01 percent of beneficiaries. Celgene and BMS increased the price of the drug nearly 200 percent from 2007 to 2019 and have maintained monopoly pricing power far beyond the period intended by law.
Teva, the company that manufactures the multiple sclerosis medication Copaxone, is under scrutiny for engaging in anti-competitive practices such as product-hopping and shadow pricing that allow it to maintain its pricing power. Since 1997, the company has raised the price of Copaxone by more than 1,000 percent.
Enbrel is a blockbuster drug for Amgen, and the company has gone to extraordinary lengths to protect this revenue source, including leveraging 41 patents to delay generic competition.
Novartis quadrupled the price of its cancer drug, Gleevec, between 2001 and 2015. At the same time, the drug company entered into a collusive agreement with a generic manufacturer to delay less expensive competitors from entering the market.
The House Oversight and Reform committee’s probe into the drug industry was launched in January 2019 under then-chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings’ leadership. Over the past two years, the committee has investigated drug companies’ anti-competitive tactics by reviewing more than 1 million pages of internal documents. In addition to hearing from six current or former executives of top pharmaceutical companies over the next two days, the committee plans to subpoena pharma giant AbbVie for documents relating to its best-selling drugs Humira and Imbruvica.
The hearings begin today and will continue through tomorrow, starting at 10 AM ET each day. Watch the livestream here.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — During tonight’s debate at Case Western Reserve University, President Trump claimed that drug prices will be coming down by 80 to 90 percent.
FACT: President Trump hasn’t meaningfully lowered drug prices.
“Trump keeps claiming he lowered prescription drug prices. But that is largely not true” (Washington Post, 9/18/20)
“Trump misleads on lowering drug prices” (CNN Fact Check, 8/20/20)
“President Donald Trump exaggerated his administration’s efforts to lower prescription drug prices.” (Associated Press Fact Check, 9/9/20)
FACT: Drug prices keep rising.
“Drug prices steadily rise amid pandemic, data shows” (Politico, 7/7/20)
“Manufacturers hiked prices on 857 drugs by an average of 6.8% in the first six months of this year.” (CNN, 8/20/20)
“Since 2014, drug prices have increased by 33%, outpacing price increases for any other medical commodity or service.” (GoodRx, 9/17/20)
FACT: Patients are suffering under crushing drug prices and want change.
“Three in ten adults report not taking their medicines as prescribed at some point in the past year because of the cost.” (Kaiser Family Foundation, 3/1/19)
“Two-thirds of U.S. adults (66%) report that prescription drug prices have increased either a little or a lot since 2017, the first year of the Trump administration.” (Gallup, 4/28/20)
87% of Americans “say it is at least very important that Congress work on lowering prescription drug costs.” (Kaiser Family Foundation, 1/30/20)
FACT: President Trump’s executive orders, like the most-favored nation proposal, haven’t been put into practice.
“The president also claimed — inaccurately — that the ‘favored nations clause’ order had already lowered drug prices.” (New York Times, 8/24/20)
“It’s not true that Trump’s measures on favored nations and rebates are bringing prices down now — mainly because they haven’t gone into effect yet.” (CNN, 8/22/20)
“Most people are unlikely to see drug cost savings from President Trump’s ‘Most Favored Nation’ proposal.” (Kaiser Health News, 8/20/20)
“As with most executive actions, this only just begins what will be a lengthy bureaucratic process that may or may not ultimately result in the promised policy.” (NPR, 9/13/20)
“The nearly $7 billion required to send the coupons, he said, would come from savings from Trump’s ‘most favored nations’ drug pricing proposal. That regulation has also not yet been implemented — meaning the Trump administration is effectively pledging to spend $6.6 billion in savings that do not currently exist.” (STAT, 9/24/20)
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patient advocates are calling on President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to talk about their plans to lower prescription drug prices during Tuesday night’s debate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. In the past two weeks, more than 1,000advocates have taken to social media to urge debate moderator Chris Wallace to ask the candidates about their plans to lower drug prices and provide relief to millions of Americans.
“Drug prices keep going up and voters want to know what the candidates propose to do about it,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and president of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “We hope Joe Biden and President Trump address the issue on Tuesday night.”
The actions are part of a grassroots campaign by Patients For Affordable Drugs Now designed to elevate patient stories and urge voters to support candidates who have plans to lower drug prices. The program includes video testimonials from patients in 14 key states sharing their experiences with high-priced prescription drugs. The campaign also features a website that highlights patient stories and serves as an action hub to give patients tools to demand 2020 candidates commit to plans to lower drug prices.
Drug pricing is a top issue for voters this year. According to Kaiser Family Foundation polling, 87 percent of Americans “say it is at least very important that Congress work on lowering prescription drug costs.”
Patients For Affordable Drugs Now is an independent, bipartisan patient organization focused on policies to lower drug prices. P4ADNow does not accept funding from any organizations that profit from the development or distribution of prescription drugs.
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1. “I live, battle, and conquer sickle cell”
A new Patients For Affordable Drugs Action ad features Floridian Clayton “DJ” Martin, who shares his worries about high drug prices and urges voters to support candidates who will take action to lower prices. The ad is part of a 15-state campaign to elevate the issue of drug prices across the country. We are grateful to DJ and all patient advocates for their tireless work to stand up to Big Pharma. — (Florida Politics)
2. Called to the Stand
Six pharma executives representing some of the biggest names in the drug industry are testifying in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform next week. The committee’s probe on unethical and anti-competitive drug pricing practices continues the important work of its late chairman, Rep. Elijah Cummings. We’ll be watching the hearings, and we look forward to getting some long-awaited answers. — (FiercePharma)
3. Dubious Discount
President Trump announced Thursday that he will send $200 discount cards to 33 million Medicare beneficiaries. Had he kept his commitment to lower drug prices, he wouldn’t need to promise some Medicare beneficiaries a dubious discount card days before an election. Americans need systemic, enduring drug pricing reforms, not election-year gimmicks. — (STAT)
4. The System is Rigged
The entire drug pricing system is broken, from drug companies that set ever-increasing list prices to pharmacy benefit managers that keep rotating formularies. And who’s paying the price? Patients, who often face uncertainty and exorbitant drug costs at the pharmacy counter. It’s long past time for change. — (The New York Times)
5. Her Story, Her Voice, and Her Vote
Patient advocate Ramae Hamrin, a Minnesota resident who has multiple myeloma, is sharing her story to push for drug pricing reforms that will benefit us all. “Even if you are not in my shoes at the moment, you or someone you love could also be one step away from losing everything in order to simply stay alive. I’m more than happy to bring a face to the unfairness and high cost of prescription drugs for all of us in hopes that something can be done. It has to be.” — (Incurable Blessings)
WASHINGTON, DC – The following statement was issued by David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, on President Trump’s announcement that he will send $200 discount cards to 33 million Medicare beneficiaries:
“If the president had kept his commitment to lower prescription drug prices, he wouldn’t need to promise some Medicare beneficiaries a dubious discount card days before an election.
“It is not at all clear if this is legal or how the president will pay for his scheme. It is perfectly clear, however, that this will not lower prescription drug prices for 328 million Americans.
“Americans need systemic, enduring reforms to our rigged drug pricing system, not election year gimmicks.”
BACKGROUND
Today President Trump promised to send $200 checks to cover prescription drug expenses for 33 million Medicare beneficiaries.
The Trump administration announced the checks would be paid for by the president’s most-favored nation proposal, which has yet to beenacted — nor has a plan been released for its enactment.
Drug prices continue to rise, with more than 500 drugs seeing a price increase in the first week of January. In the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, drug companies raised the prices of nearly 250 additional drugs.
Patients are suffering — nearly one in three Americans report not taking their medication as prescribed due to price.
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TikTok may be going away. But your drug pricing newsletter is here to stay.
1. #AskAboutDrugPrices
Patients For Affordable Drugs Action, our sister organization, launched a campaign this week featuring patients calling on fellow voters to support candidates who will commit to lowering drug prices. As part of the campaign, the group will launch digital ads in 15 states, starting this week with Georgia, Iowa, Montana, Minnesota, and Virginia. Patients For Affordable Drugs Action will also focus its efforts on exposing Senator Thom Tillis‘ record of turning his back on patients in service of Big Pharma. — (Patients For Affordable Drugs Action)
2. Yes, the U.S. Government Will Pay Twice for a COVID-19 Vaccine
U.S. taxpayers are underwriting the development of a COVID-19 vaccine — to the tune of $12 billion. But the drug corporations plan to charge taxpayers yet again for the final product. P4AD Founder and President David Mitchell breaks it down from the patient perspective on PBS NewsHour. Our rigged drug pricing system is long overdue for major reforms. — (PBS NewsHour)
3. Drug Prices: Not Falling
On Sunday, President Trump signed the most-favored nations executive order that ties Medicare drug prices to lower prices in other countries. However, many questions about the details of the executive order remain unanswered, and it’s unlikely that Americans will see lower drug prices anytime soon. Advancing the order was a step in the right direction, but we’ll be waiting to see if any meaningful action comes next. — (NPR)
4. Profit Maximizers Don’t Wear Capes
American tax dollars filled global pharma giant AstraZeneca’s coffers with $1.2 billion for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, but the company has CONTINUED TO RAISE DRUG PRICES this year — sometimes even twice on the same medication. — (Los Angeles Times)
5. ?Drug Corporations Cashing in on Crisis
Drug companies are peddling unsubstantiated “news” about progress in the race for a COVID-19 vaccine, which leads to inflated stock value. Then, pharma executives and shareholders are selling their stock shares and making millions. Pharma’s relentless bad behavior underscores that Congress must act to protect us from pandemic profiteering. — (Newsweek)
1. Even More Pandemic Price Hikes
Amid the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, drug companies have hiked the prices of 645 brand-name drugs this year, including those used to treat chest pain and depression. Time and again, pharma companies display limitless greed. — (AnalySource)
2. Leave No One Behind
It’s been five years since “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli increased the price of the medication Daraprim by over 5,000 percent to $750 per pill — and the drug still costs that much. Widespread outrage has not stopped drug corporations’ unchecked powers to increase prescription drug prices. We must reform the system to serve all patients — and that means lowering drug prices for all conditions. — (Roll Call)
3. System of Patent Abuse
In a new podcast, host Angela Glover Blackwell and Priti Krishtel, the co-founder of the drug patent watchdog organization I-MAK, discuss how Big Pharma’s patent abuses disproportionately harm people of color. The fight for health equity must include tackling drug companies’ monopoly pricing power. — (Radical Imagination)
1. We’re Drug Pricing Voters
More than one-third of Americans cite lowering drug costs as a top issue influencing their 2020 vote. The numbers don’t lie: This November, Americans are looking for candidates who will stand up to Big Pharma and pass legislation to curb predatory drug pricing practices. — (Gallup)
2. Paying Twice
A new analysis found American tax dollars helped to fund every new drug approved in the past decade. We’re paying billions of dollars to produce life-saving medications, only to be overcharged while pharma juices profits. Our rigged drug pricing system has to change. — (Institute for New Economic Thinking)
3. Profiteering Poster Child
Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney plans to subpoena pharma giant AbbVie after the company failed to provide the House Committee on Oversight and Reform with requested information on blockbuster drugs Imbruvica and Humira. AbbVie has raised the price of Humira 18 times between 2009 and 2019. We’re glad to see the committee continue the investigation, which started in January 2019 under the leadership of the late then-Chairman Elijah Cummings. — (FiercePharma)
4. Made in Cali
This week, the California state legislature passed a bill that opens the door for the state to become the first to produce its own line of generic drugs. The measure would require the state’s health agency to partner with drug companies to manufacture or distribute generics, helping to drive down the cost of expensive prescriptions. — (Kaiser Health News)
5. “PhRMA lacks standing”
“PhRMA lacks standing,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said this week in response to a federal lawsuit brought by PhRMA that challenged the constitutionality of the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act.The legislation, named for a young man with type 1 diabetes who died after he rationed insulin, would provide an emergency supply of the drug to the numerous patients who struggle to afford the critical medication. — (MinnPost)
