Patients For Affordable Drugs is happy to name Dennis Linthicum, a Republican state senator from Oregon, a December Drug Price Fighting Hero for his leadership in the fight to lower prescription drug prices.

Sen. Linthicum and his daughter live with Type 1 diabetes and require insulin to survive. Over the years, he’s watched the price of insulin skyrocket from $15 to $330 a vial. He became an unwavering sponsor of the Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act, or House Bill 4005, which shines light on the shadowy drug pricing process, giving consumers critical information about which drug companies are raising prices in Oregon. Sen. Linthicum shares the title of Price Fighting Hero with retired nurse Ann Neilson this month. Sen. Linthicum’s committement to HB 4005 and Ann Neilson’s patient testimony pushed back against dozens of drug industry lobbyists determined to see the bill fail. The bill became law on March 13 despite aggressive opposition from Big Pharma.

Sen. Linthicum is a December Price Fighting Hero for standing up to Big Pharma, making sure Oregon patients know why their drug costs are increasing.

Over the last few months, P4AD has honored FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, multiple sclerosis patient Victoria Stuessel, the former Administrator of CMS Andy Slavitt, metastatic breast cancer patient and advocate Becky Hall, Nevada State Senator Yvanna Cancela, and T1International founder Elizabeth Rowley.

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Patients For Affordable Drugs’ Price Fighting Heroes is a 2018 series highlighting advocates in the fight to lower prescription drug prices.

We will honor patients, private sector leaders, policy makers, and elected officials who are advocating for patients and fighting for lower drug prices. In doing so, we hope to encourage others to join the fight and continue their good work.  

We plan to feature our heroes on our social media accounts and blog, lift up their stories in the media and honor them at an event in 2019.

If you have someone you want to nominate as a hero, you can do so here.