Apropos of nothing, the price of a full course of rabies immunization can be $10,000.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. The Ploy To Keep Prices High
A new report from P4AD details how the drug companies behind Eliquis and Xarelto, two blood thinners used by millions of patients, have raised their prices in lockstep over the past decade to avoid competition and extract increasing profits from patients and taxpayers. The two drugs, currently each priced at over $500 for a monthly supply, would have a list price of about $300 if price hikes had been held to the rate of inflation. Eliquis and Xarelto are now two of the three most costly drugs for Medicare, and their high prices are directly harming patients. “I’ve had to spend my entire paycheck to get my prescription drugs,” said Ashley Suder, a lupus patient who takes Eliquis to prevent blood clots. “I often worry about how I’ll make ends meet while still affording my drugs. Without them, my life would be at real risk! It’s no way to live, but I don’t have a choice.” — (Axios)
2. “We Have To Do This”
This week, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and senatorscalled on Congress to lower drug prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate. Seniors have been feeling the pain of high drug prices for too long — a recent study found that 30 percent of Medicare beneficiaries who did not receive low-income subsidies for their cancer medications skipped out on filling their prescriptions. The Senate has the opportunity to rein in these prices by passing the package of drug pricing reforms under consideration now. As President Biden says, “We can do this. We should do this. We have to do this.” — (P4ADNow, P4ADNow, KRNV, The Franklin Journal, Health Affairs)
3. The Case For Medicare Negotiation
In opinion pieces this week, patient advocates shared their families’ experiences with high drug prices and explained why Medicare must be allowed to negotiate. “It is obviously obscene to charge Americans so much more than in other countries, especially since drug manufacturers make profits in every country. It is ridiculous that the government cannot negotiate prices,” writes Virginia advocate Patricia Smith. “Without negotiations that actually stop the drug corporations from charging whatever they want and raising prices at will, cost containment can only have limited impact for a limited number of patients while burdens continue to rise for taxpayers, businesses, and those paying premiums,” explains Jamie Tadrzynski, who lives with type 1 diabetes. “The drug-pricing reforms the Senate is currently considering would deliver meaningful relief to patients like me, while still rewarding innovation,” shares Kris Garcia, who lives with multiple health conditions, including bleeding disorders. — (The Free Lance-Star, Las Vegas Sun, The Colorado Sun)
This April, we won’t let Big Pharma fool us: We can have the drug innovation we need at prices we can afford.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. Priority #1: Full Drug Pricing Package
On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed legislation to cap copays for insulin for the second time. The provision was included in the historic comprehensive package of drug pricing reforms passed by the House in November and currently under consideration by the Senate. The package is composed of key reforms, including Medicare negotiation to lower drug prices, which is the most popular part of the president’s economic plan. “To be clear, comprehensive reform is urgently needed to lift the crushing burden of prescription drug prices,” Speaker Pelosi explained. Democrats in the Senate have the votes and must act urgently to pass the complete package of reforms through reconciliation and lower drug prices for all Americans, including those who take insulin. Patientscan’t wait any longer. — (Common Dreams, Navigator Research, P4ADNow)
2. Saving Money, Improving Access
This week, patients and an elected state official called on Congress to pass the package of drug pricing reforms to deliver lower drug prices for Americans. “I live with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and the medication keeping me alive is priced at almost $15,000 a month. Just last month, its manufacturer hiked the price by $1,030,” shares New York patient advocate Lynn Scarfuto. Medicare negotiation “will save lives by allowing access to life-saving drugs for many Americans who can’t presently afford them,” explains Nevada cancer survivor Joyce Newman. “I urge congressional leaders to pass these significant health care provisions to provide much-needed relief to families across New Jersey and the country,” writes New Jersey Assemblyman John McKeon. — (Albany Times-Union, Reno Gazette Journal, Star-Ledger)
3. Time For A Course-Correct
A new analysis shows that cancer drug prices rose in the United States between 2009 and 2020 while prices in Germany and Switzerland decreased or kept pace with the rate of inflation over the same time period. The difference, according to the authors, can be attributed to the fact that Germany and Switzerland negotiate lower prices with drug manufacturers while the United States is prohibited from doing so. The inability of Medicare to negotiate over the past two decades has had lasting ramifications for patients and taxpayers — let’s course-correct and pass Medicare negotiation legislation now. — (Endpoints News)
It’s been 6 years since Britney has recorded new music — but it’s been three times longer that Medicare hasn’t been able to negotiate lower drug prices. Big Pharma’s Toxic drug prices Drive Me Crazy.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. No Time To Lose
Momentum continues to build for passing the House-passed comprehensive drug pricing reforms through reconciliation. This week, Speaker Pelosi and Rep. Allred spoke at a Dallas roundtable about why Medicare must be allowed to negotiate lower drug prices. In a press conference, Senator Baldwin reiterated her support for Medicare negotiation, and in the media, Rep. Titus highlighted the overwhelming support for the provision in her district and across the country. The moment is at hand to pass the groundbreaking reforms — with the support of all 50 Democratic senators, we can deliver relief to Americans burdened by high drug prices now. — (KERA, La Crosse Tribune, KNPR)
2. Princes Of Profiteering
As Americans struggled with health and financial crises brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla hauled in a $24 million compensation package in 2021. To put that number into perspective, Bourla’s $24 million could have paid for hundreds of frontline worker salaries — 521 paramedics, 319 nurses, or 115 doctors. Drug companies and their executives continue to cash in on vaccines based on taxpayer-funded research, and Americans are left paying twice for the life-saving technology we need. — (FiercePharma)
3. “We Have Waited Long Enough”
A patient advocate and AARPleaders wrote powerful op-eds this week explaining how Congress has the opportunity to help patients and seniors across the country by passing the negotiated drug pricing reforms in a reconciliation package. “If I don’t have enough [money], I may turn around and leave the medications at the pharmacy, even though I rely on them to keep me well,” writes Donna Bowers, a Pennsylvania kidney donor and arthritis patient. “We have waited long enough for affordable health care in this country. Now it’s time to finish the job and pass legislation that will lower the cost of prescription drugs so millions of Americans, including me, can relax knowing that they can afford the medications they need to stay healthy.” — (The Morning Call, The Daily Item, The Connecticut Mirror)
It’s madness that drug prices are still so high, but if a #15 can beat a #2, then we can beat pharma and lower drug prices for Americans.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. “A Clear Path Forward”
On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee’s hearing on high drug prices further underscored the urgent need for drug pricing reform. During the hearing, senatorsexplained how the House-passed reforms in the Build Back Better Act — which the drug lobby has spent tens of millions of dollars opposing — willhelplowerpricesforpatients. “There is just no substitute — none — for the number one reform, which is allowing Medicare to negotiate like any other payer,” said Chairman Wyden. “I see a clear path forward to deliver drug pricing reform for the American people in a way that is balanced and in a way that is fair, and I’m confident that these policies can pass through Congress and be signed into law even today,” added Senator Carper. Let’s get it done. — (P4ADNow)
2. Letters For Lower Drugs
In letters and op-eds this week, a patient, a constituent, and employers urged Congress to act quickly to lower drug prices. “As a senior living on a fixed income, I’ve had to choose between filling my Humira prescription or buying groceries. That’s a decision no one should have to make,” writes Katherine Pepper, a Washington patient who lives with an autoimmune disease. “Rising prices have been a constant problem as drug corporations have relentlessly raised prices, often higher than inflation rates, for well over a decade,” explains Virginian Dilcia Molina. “The time is long overdue for Congress to act on drug prices.” — (The Seattle Times, The Free Lance-Star, The Hill)
3. Stop Pharma Profiteering Now
A piece in The Philadelphia Inquirer lays out how drug companies and theirexecutives have raked in massive profits from taxpayer-funded COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. “Make no mistake: The effort by drug companies was hugely profitable, because the government paid for the research, removed all the risk factors and committed billions to pre-approval purchases,” author Daniel Hoffman explains. — (The Philadelphia Inquirer, CNBC, FiercePharma)
4. The High Price Of Cancer Care
A new survey from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network reveals that 51 percent of cancer patients and survivors have taken on debt to pay for their care, and 65 percent say they are worried about the costs of their prescription drugs. Cancer medications are among the most expensive drugs on the market — it’s more clear evidence that high prices are hurting patients. Americans deserve better. — (Axios)
5. Patient Spotlight ?
Virginia patient advocate Kat Schroeder, who lives with type 1 diabetes, was interviewed by Spectrum News on why patients need Congress to pass drug pricing reforms now. “This is my lifeline,” Kat said about her insulin, which costs about $3,300 for a three-month supply. “If I run out of insulin, I’m dead within a few days.” The drug pricing reforms being considered by the Senate will allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, including for insulin. Kat and millions of other patients are depending on Congress to fulfill their promise. – (Spectrum News)
One more thing: Good news! This week, the New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee voted to advance legislation that would establish a prescription drug affordability board to tackle high drug prices on behalf of New Jersey patients.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. Listen To Colorado Patients
On Tuesday, Colorado patient advocates Gail deVore and Kris Garcia shared their experiences with high drug prices at a virtual roundtable with Senator Bennet and urged Congress to pass the drug pricing reforms from the Build Back Better Act. “I had to give up my dream of being a business owner because of how expensive my medications were,” said Kris, a patient who lives with several bleeding disorders, asthma, and severe allergies. “As someone who has been facing the outrageous price of insulin for decades, I can’t begin to tell you how much real, comprehensive drug pricing reform would mean to me,” shared Gail, a type 1 diabetes patient. There is a clear path forward for lawmakers to deliver lower prescription drug prices in the new reconciliation package. Patients in Colorado and across the country are demanding reforms — Congress must act now. — (P4ADNow)
2. Momentum Is Clearer Than Ever
This week, Senator Brown, a patient advocate, and a veteran wrote to their local publications in support of allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. Senator Brown explains that the current ban on Medicare negotiation allows Big Pharma to price gouge for higher profits at the expense of Americans who depend on their medications. Patient advocate Therese Humphrey Ball, a retired nurse who lives with multiple sclerosis, describes forgoing her medication due to its high price. “Lowering drug prices through negotiations is a commonsense way to make medicines affordable for people on Medicare,” writes Michael Kanter, a Florida veteran. “Patients like me are counting on President Biden to make good on his promise and work with Congress to pass these reforms,” Therese urges. “We can’t wait any longer.” — (Wilmington News Journal, South Bend Tribune, Tampa Bay Times)
3. Big Pharma’s Big Money
Big Pharma continued to break records this week. The industry is spending millions on TV ads while patients are struggling to afford the very prescription drugs Big Pharma is advertising. Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug Trulicity holds its winning streak with a hefty $45.8 million spend. And it’s no surprise that Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel’s pay jumped 41% to $18.2 million as the company’s COVID-19 vaccine expands globally. In the third year of a pandemic that has killed nearly 1 million Americans so far, Bancel is becoming filthy rich off a vaccine funded and paid for by taxpayers – profiteering off the pandemic at it’s finest. — (FiercePharma, FiercePharma)
HEADS UP: The Senate Finance Committee is holding a hearing on the urgent need to lower prescription drug prices on Wednesday, March 16. Keep an eye out for an email from us on Big Pharma talking points to watch out for during the hearing.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. “First, Cut The Costs Of Prescription Drugs”
In his State of the Union address this week, President Biden called on Congress to lower the prices of prescription drugs by passing reforms, including allowing Medicare to negotiate. He listed lowering drug prices as a key part of his plan to lower costs for Americans who are feeling the impact of inflation. Following the address, Senator Manchin offered renewed momentum for passing a reconciliation package by calling for a plan that includes lowering drug prices for Americans. The drug pricing reforms in the House-passed Build Back Better Act are the most popular element of the package, will deliver relief to patients, and have been endorsed by all 50 Democratic senators. With the Senate back in session, the moment is at hand – Congress, it’s time to act. — (CNBC, The Hill)
2. Voters Are Watching
New polling and analyses on rising drug prices demonstrate why Congress must pass the drug price reforms from the Build Back Better Act. A Morning Consult survey reveals that 9 in 10 voters consider drug prices an important issue leading up to the midterm elections, and 3 in 4 voters say that a failure to pass drug pricing reforms will impact their vote in November. Analyses released this week detail how drug companies have hiked the prices of brand-name drugs, many of which are among the most costly drugs for Medicare and bear price increases above the rate of inflation. One analysis found that if the drug pricing reforms under consideration by the Senate had been in place in 2022, drug companies would already owe more than $150 million in fines to the federal government due to price gouging. We need these reforms so we can finally hold drug companies accountable for their exploitative pricing practices and lower prices for patients and all Americans. We can’t afford to wait any longer. — (Morning Consult, Kaiser Family Foundation, AARP, West Health)
3. Seize This Moment
Opinion pieces are flooding in about the urgent need for drug pricing reform. Rep. Susan Wild wrote an op-ed this week urging her colleagues to act swiftly to lower drug prices for patients and deliver on their campaign promises. “Democrats have promised for years that we’d hold Big Pharma accountable and lower the price of prescription drugs for Americans,” Rep. Wild writes. “And now we have the opportunity to follow through on that promise.” Communitymembers, advocates, and an editorial board added their voices in support of drug pricing reforms. “There will never be a better time to deliver on their promise of fair drug prices,” writes AARP Pennsylvania state director Bill Johnston-Walsh. “Washington can’t let Big Pharma keep ripping off our seniors.” — (The Hill, Las Vegas Sun, Culpeper Star-Exponent, The Patriot-News, The Journal Inquirer)
One more thing: The non-profit drug company Civica announced a plan to manufacture and sell biosimilars of some of the most widely used insulin products at a fraction of the brand-name prices. This could be a game changer for patients who depend on insulin to live, especially for those who are uninsured.
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. “No Brainer”
As Congress continues work on a reconciliation package, Democrats know that they must deliver on one of voters’ most popular priorities: lowering drug prices. Democratic senators agree that allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices would offer relief to Americans struggling under high costs due to record inflation. All 50 Democratic senators support the comprehensive provisions from the Build Back Better Act. As Senator Joe Manchin says, lowering drug prices is a “no brainer.” Let’s get it done. — (NPR, The New York Times, New York Magazine)
2. We’re Speaking Loud And Clear
Patient advocates called for lower drug prices on both the federal and state levels this week. In a story for the Deseret News, patients shared the difficult decisions they have been forced to make in order to afford their prescription drugs, including rationing medications to lower costs. In op-eds, type 1 diabetes patient Mindy Salango and AARP Delaware State Director Lucretia Young urged Congress to pass the drug pricing provisions in the Build Back Better Act to help patients afford their medications. And in the Bangor Daily News, a Maine resident calls on her state legislators to pass a bill that ties drug prices to those in Canada. Americans know this is the year we can achieve significant reforms for patients, and we’re not backing down until our lawmakers act. — (Deseret News, Newsweek, News Journal, Bangor Daily News)
3. New Year, Same Behavior
This week, Moderna announced revenues of $18.5 billion from its COVID-19 vaccine in 2021, and the company expects even higher revenues this year at about $22 billion. Reminder: Moderna has admitted that 100 percent of the vaccine’s research and development was backed by government funding. Two years after the start of the pandemic, taxpayers are still paying twice for a vaccine we invented. — (FiercePharma)
One more thing: P4AD founder David Mitchell was named one of STAT’s 46 leaders and influencers in health and life sciences. Check out a full list of the influential individuals here.
What’s harder: getting pharma to stop profiteering during a pandemic or Wordle now that The New York Times owns it?
Welcome to the Week in Review.
1. Lower Prices To Lower Costs
As Democrats gear up for election season, Americans are struggling with rising costs. Lawmakers know they can deliver relief by lowering drug prices for patients by passing the drug price reforms from the Build Back Better Act through reconciliation. The drug pricing provisions have support from all 50 Democratic senators, and Senate Democrats resumedtalks on a reconciliation package this week. It’s time for Congress to deliver on their promises to lower drug prices for millions of Americans across the country who can’t afford their medications. Patients are counting on them. — (The Hill)
2. The Maine Issue: Drug Unaffordability
On Tuesday, patient advocate Sabrina Fuhrer testified during a Maine state legislature hearing in support of a bill that would curb pharmaceutical price gouging by tying drug prices in Maine to prices in neighboring Canada. Sabrina, who has a son living with type 1 diabetes, shared her family’s experience with high drug prices and urged the legislature to act to lower prices for Mainers. “Bringing prices for Mainers in line with what Canada pays would provide relief to so many families like mine who are struggling to make ends meet,” Sabrina said. “I urge you to support LD 1636 to protect my family, my patients, and fellow Mainers from the burden of high drug prices.” — (Sun Journal)
3. States’ Focus On Pharma
In addition to federal action to hold Big Pharma accountable, patients need state lawmakers to pass legislation that lowers drug prices. A Boston Globe editorial this week calls on the Massachusetts House to follow the state Senate’s lead and pass a bill that would increase drug price transparency and cap insulin copays. In New Jersey, Gov. Murphy announced his support for several bills that would cap out-of-pocket costs for some medications — but patients need lawmakers to go further and directly address high prices by creating a prescription drug affordability board. States must hold Big Pharma accountable for its abusive pricing practices. — (The Boston Globe, Asbury Park Press)
