Big Pharma’s Lies And Scare Tactics Repeatedly Exposed
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The following statement was issued by David Mitchell, a cancer patient and founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, following the Senate Committee on Finance’s hearing “Prescription Drug Price Inflation: An Urgent Need to Lower Drug Prices in Medicare”:
“Thank you to Chairman Ron Wyden and the Senate Finance Committee for holding today’s hearing on the outrageous prices of prescription drugs in this country. Senators and witnesses alike made the compelling case for passage of the comprehensive drug price reforms now before the Senate. The hearing demonstrated the urgent and overwhelming imperative that Congress pass the reforms, including Medicare negotiation, this year. Without action, we are effectively mandating that Americans continue to pay almost four times what patients in other countries pay for the same brand-name drugs.
“The hearing again highlighted the lengths that Big Pharma will go to spread misinformation and scare patients in order to protect the industry’s unilateral power to dictate prices in this country. Despite record spending on lobbying and dark money campaigns by drug companies who are trying to block the drug pricing reforms, patients know the provisions will allow for the innovation we need at prices we can afford, increase access to drugs, and save lives. Americans are depending on Congress to get it done.”
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Today’s Hearing:
Background:
Big Pharma And Its Allies Will Spread Lies To Oppose Reforms — Here’s What To Look Out For
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Committee on Finance will hold a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 AM ET on the need to pass comprehensive drug pricing reforms, including Medicare negotiation. The hearing, “Prescription Drug Price Inflation: An Urgent Need to Lower Drug Prices in Medicare,” takes place as the Senate considers the drug pricing reforms already passed by the House of Representatives. Opponents of these reforms are expected to shepherd Big Pharma’s talking points with false claims about innovation, access, and Big Pharma’s investment in COVID-19 vaccines. Here’s a roundup of what to look out for, how these reforms will help patients, and the momentum to get it done:
Big Pharma Fear-Mongering
How Drug Pricing Reforms Will Help Patients
The drug price provisions under consideration will, for the first time, authorize Medicare to negotiate prices directly for some of the most expensive prescription medicines; institute a hard cap on out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries and limit copays on insulin for millions of Americans to $35 each month; and limit annual price increases to stop price gouging by drug corporations.
If the drug pricing crisis goes unaddressed, millions of patients will be denied access to prescriptions they need to survive, and the drug industry will be left with unilateral power to dictate prices for brand-name drugs — something no other nation in the world allows. Without action, we are effectively mandating that American patients continue to pay almost four times what patients in other countries pay for the same brand-name drugs. Acting on reforms is a health equity imperative — non-white patients are disproportionately harmed by rising drug prices.
Momentum To Get It Done
The momentum is here – in his State of the Union address, President Biden called for lowering drug prices as a key part of his plan to lower costs for Americans, and Senator Manchin followed the president’s call by saying he is ready to come to the table and pass drug pricing reforms in a reconciliation bill. The full Democratic caucus has endorsed the deal to lower drug prices. Key members continue to emphasize that lowering drug prices will address high and rising costs and are encouraging the caucus to move forward with the comprehensive drug price provisions, including Medicare negotiation.
Rising prices are understandably a top concern for American families. Addressing drug prices will put more money back in the pockets of patients and their loved ones by helping curb inflation. Additionally, lowering drug prices is a top midterm issue for more than 90 percent of voters. If Congress fails to pass reforms, 3 out of 4 voters say it will impact their vote in November.
The Senate Finance Committee hearing on drug pricing will include witnesses Rena M. Conti, Ph.D., Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Ph.D., Stephen Ezell, and Steffany Stern, M.P.P. Watch tomorrow at 10:00 AM ET here.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Executives from seven major drug corporations will testify before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday to explain their pricing practices and the fact that American patients and taxpayers pay more for drugs than anywhere in the world. In the lead up to the hearing, Patients For Affordable Drugs Now reviewed the pricing history of each corporation and developed questions patients want answered from the Pharma CEOs.
“We hear every day from patients suffering under the high cost of prescription drugs,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “Patients deserve answers, and we need Congressional action to stop this abuse of American patients from continuing.”
U.S. patients and taxpayers spend more than $450 billion each year on prescription drugs, by some estimates, nearly one-fifth of all health care costs. Patent-protected brand-name drugs drive spending, making up only about 10 percent of prescriptions but accounting for three-quarters of drug spending.
You can read Patients For Affordable Drugs Now’s full testimony for the record here. Below please find a summary of pricing practices and key questions for the Pharma CEOs.
ABBVIE INC.
About AbbVie: AbbVie’s anti-inflammatory drug Humira is the top-selling drug in the world. The drug company doubled the price from about $19,000 per year in 2012 to $38,000 per year in 2018. AbbVie secured more than 100 patents on Humira, ensuring that patent thickets will keep competition off the U.S. market. Meanwhile, the company cut the price in Europe by 80 percent for the exact same drug.
Questions:
PFIZER
About Pfizer: Pfizer’s history of price hikes is as staggering as it is long. Here’s a look at the last three years: In 2017, Pfizer raised the price of 91 drugs by 20 percent — that was nearly 10 times the rate of inflation. In mid-2018, Pfizer announced price hikes on about 100 prescription drugs. After temporary freezes, Pfizer raised the raised the price of 40 drugs in January 2019.
Questions:
SANOFI
About Sanofi: Almost 30 million Americans live with diabetes and 6 million need insulin to survive. From 2010 to 2015, Sanofi raised the price of the lifesaving diabetes drug Lantus by 168 percent.
Questions:
MERCK & CO., INC.
About Merck: Merck is no stranger to drug price increases. From January 2017 to mid-2018, Merck raised the price of Januvia by nearly 20 percent. In November 2018, the corporation raised the price on five drugs, including top-selling Gardasil and Keytruda.
Questions:
JOHNSON & JOHNSON
About Johnson & Johnson: Since 2012, Johnson & Johnson has raised the price of its blockbuster drug Xarelto by 87 percent. In January of 2019, the company raised the price on about two dozen drugs.
Questions:
BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB CO.
About Bristol-Myers Squibb: Over the last eight years, Bristol-Myers Squibb has spent over$25 million in lobbying expenditures and $1.75 million in campaign contributions, according to Open Secrets. The company raised the price of its blockbuster drug Eliquis by 6 percentin January 2019. Last year alone, U.S. patients paid Bristol-Myers Squibb $3.8 billion for Eliquis, a 30 percent year-over-year increase.
Questions:
ASTRAZENECA
About AstraZeneca: AstraZeneca has a history of charging cancer patients high prices. Here are three examples: Imfinzi costs $180,000 per year for lung cancer, Lynparza costs around $15,000 for 112 pills for ovarian cancer, and Iressa costs $8,000 for 30 pills for lung cancer. And before AstraZeneca faced a generic competitor for its high cholesterol drug, Crestor, the company raised prices multiple times, including by about 15 percent right before a generic competitor came to market.
Questions:
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — After today’s Senate Finance Committee and House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearings on skyrocketing prescription drug prices, David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, issued the following statement:
“Today’s hearings are an encouraging start. It’s clear that there is bipartisan support to rein in Big Pharma’s monopoly pricing power.
“We are not surprised that drug corporations refused the Senate Committee’s invitation to participate. Those drug company CEOs can’t defend the indefensible.
“We look forward to helping Congress stand up to the drug industry and begin to actually lower drug prices for patients. Unchecked, drug company executives will continue to hold patients hostage to increase their profits. Congress needs to let them know that these abuses won’t stand any longer.”
BACKGROUND:
PATIENT PERSPECTIVE:
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