NEW YORK — Patients For Affordable Drugs will join academics, business leaders and representatives from 190 international organizations at a U.N General Assembly hearing today. P4AD Patient Advocates plan to ask attendees to consider drug prices when discussing prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.

“A big barrier to the control and management of non-communicable diseases here in the United States, and around the world, is the outrageous price of prescription drugs,” said Juliana Keeping, Communications Director for Patients For Affordable Drugs and an attendee at today’s hearing. “Patient voices are often missing in this discussion and we are proud to participate in today’s events.” 

The General Assembly and the World Health Organization lists the issue of controlling and managing non-communicable diseases a priority at its 72nd Session. The July 5 hearing is part of the preparatory process for the high-level meeting Sept. 27.

Patients For Affordable Drugs attendees include:

• Pam Holt, Granger, IN: A multiple myeloma patient who recently had to refinance her home in order to afford the treatment that is keeping her alive.
• Clayton McCook, Edmond, OK: A father who lives in constant fear that the price of his daughter’s insulin will continue to rise.
• Juliana Keeping, Washington, DC: The mother of a cystic fibrosis patient whose drugs cost tens of thousands of dollars per year.
• Samantha Reid, Washington, DC: Sam battles Crohn’s disease. She serves as the digital director for Patients For Affordable Drugs.

All four of these patient advocates have important stories to tell and bring a valuable perspective to the discussion of one significant aspect of the control of non-communicable disease: drug prices.