The Good, The Missing, and The Ugly: The Drug Price Proposals Announced by the Trump Administration
WASHINGTON, DC — President Trump today gave a highly-anticipated speech on his Administration’s plans to lower drug prices. He railed against high prices and a rigged system, and we appreciate that he brought the rhetorical heat. But we must judge this set of proposals based on the substance and the standard the president set himself in his State of the Union Address: “Prices will come down, watch.”
“Today’s announcement contains some good, some bad, and some missing components to lower drug prices,” said David Mitchell, a patient with incurable cancer and founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs.
Drug Prices are Putting My Son’s Health at Risk
This terrible federal policy, and these drug prices, put my son’s health at grave risk. How long can the system continue to absorb these kinds of costs?
Stacy’s Story
Abbvie made moves recently to ensure no generic versions will enter the market for at least five more years. The impact of these maneuvers translates to $15,000 for us, money we could use for retirement, or my son’s college fund.
ALERT: PhRMA Spends Record $$$ Lobbying
WASHINGTON, DC — Patients For Affordable Drugs' Executive Director, Ben Wakana, issued the following statement regarding the news that PhRMA, the pharmaceutical industry’s main trade organization, broke a record for money spent lobbying in the first quarter of 2018.
“Drug corporations are running scared. The public knows the truth about America’s rigged prescription drug pricing system, so PhRMA is doing what PhRMA does best, lobbying lawmakers behind closed doors. Patients are demanding lower drug prices, and in response, PhRMA fattened its lobbying budget, revealing the industry’s true priorities.”
Patient Group Calls For Investigation Into AbbVie’s abusive Pay-for-Delay deals
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs (P4AD) called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate a pay-for-delay deal cut by the pharmaceutical giant AbbVie. In a letter to Congress and the Federal Trade Commission, the patient group asked the FTC to investigate whether AbbVie’s recent deal with Samsung Bioepis is anti-competitive and violates antitrust laws.
“AbbVie is using pay-for-delay deals to keep a cheaper generic off the market and patients are the victims," said David Mitchell, president and co-founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs. “We believe it is illegal and anti-competitive, and we are asking the FTC to step in and protect patients from AbbVie’s price hikes.”
Nationwide Patient Organization Endorses Ohio Bill to Lower Drug Prices
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Patients For Affordable Drugs (P4AD), a bipartisan national patient organization, endorsed HB 479, a bill to prohibit secretive contracts by drug corporation middlemen that keep Ohio patients in the dark about their prescription drug prices.
Patients For Affordable Drugs brought together Ohio residents Saturday in Columbus for a training focused on how to effectively organize, mobilize, and fight for lower drug prices.
Higher Taxes on Drugs Won’t Lower Drug Prices
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs Executive Director, Ben Wakana, issued the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s plans to introduce tariffs on key drug ingredients.
“For an administration that wants to lower drug prices, this would do the exact opposite. We are eager to read the comprehensive set of recommendations the administration promised to release in the next few weeks, but the tariffs announced yesterday would be a step in the wrong direction. It’s a tax that would raise prices on prescription drugs.”
