Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and representatives from several special interest groups held a press conference on July 13 on Capitol Hill to rally support for bipartisan bills that would help lower drug costs.
Ms. Klobuchar, alongside representatives from AARP, Patients For Affordable Drugs Now (P4ADNow), and SPACEs in Action, spearheaded the “Push for Competition to Lower Drug Prices” initiative.
The group represented 35 organizations encompassing patients, consumers, seniors, churches, students, unions, and disease advocacy groups who jointly composed a letter (
pdf) to the Senate.
The campaign was officially unveiled during the press conference. The initiative takes aim at the pharmaceutical industry’s anti-competitive practices and addresses regulatory loopholes that have caused an increase in prices.
“Sky-high prices have kept prescription medications out of reach for far too many Americans. By passing legislation to address the anti-competitive tactics that big pharma uses to keep drug prices high, we will enable more competition and innovation in the pharmaceutical market and lower costs for patients,” Ms. Klobuchar
said during the press conference. “I’ll keep working to ensure all Americans can get the life-saving medications they need at prices they can afford.”
Ms. Klobuchar and other representatives of interested groups asserted the company practices are stifling competition in the generic and biosimilar drug market, which would lead to lower prices for patients.
The group’s letter urged immediate passage of the bipartisan bills, which they believe would address anti-competitive behavior within the drug industry and close regulatory gaps, and bring much-needed relief to patients struggling to obtain adequate care.
“Americans can’t afford to pay more than three times what people in other countries pay for the same medicine,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer.
“Generic drugs have proven to be one of the safest and most effective ways to ensure that millions of older Americans can afford the prescription drugs they need. Now is the time for Congress to increase competition and help lower drug prices.”
Letter to the Senate
In their open letter, the groups call for immediate action on the bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing drug prices, citing statistics indicating that
one in four Americans encounters difficulty affording necessary medications, including an estimated
3.5 million adults aged 65 and older.
The letter also asserts that high drug prices disproportionately impact people of color, resulting in uninsured Latinos and Black Americans using 10–40 percent fewer medications than their White counterparts. The group went on to assert that older adults from these communities are
1.5 times more likely to face affordability challenges compared to their white peers and are twice as likely to forgo prescribed medications due to cost.
Additionally, adults with disabilities are believed to be
three times more likely to ration their medications compared with those without disabilities.
The letter emphasizes pharmaceutical companies’ unchecked pricing power during time-limited monopoly periods granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
According to the letter addressed to the upper chamber of Congress, in the coming months, the Senate has an opportunity to advance a comprehensive set of bipartisan bills that strengthen patent and regulatory systems. These bills aim to facilitate the earlier entry of cost-effective generics and biosimilars into the market while addressing many of the anti-competitive behaviors.
The coalition urges the Senate to prioritize bills that reform the patent system, with proposed reforms including banning anti-competitive practices like “pay-for-delay” deals and product hopping, as well as preventing the misuse of citizen petitions and proprietary information by drug companies.
Arthur Blair, board member of SPACES in Action, said during the press conference, “Lowering drug prices will increase the quality of life for many people like me across this country. We are urgently calling on the Senate to immediately advance and pass the bipartisan bills to lower drug prices.”
Additional Efforts to Lower Drug Costs
In conjunction with the campaign launch, P4ADNow rolled out a series of digital advertisements and an advocacy hub. These resources are intended to empower individuals to engage with their senators and actively support the passage of a comprehensive legislative package.The package encompasses the aforementioned bipartisan bills that foster competition in the generic and biosimilar drug markets, thereby driving down costs for consumers.
The press conference followed a recent
Dear Colleague letter from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) outlining his commitment to advancing bipartisan legislation to reduce drug expenses throughout the July work period.
The proposed package encompasses reforms that have previously garnered strong bipartisan support in the Senate
HELP,
Judiciary, and Commerce Committees earlier this year.
Jacqueline Garibay, a 22-year-old ankylosing spondylitis patient from Austin, Texas, summed up her perspective during the press conference, saying, “Big Pharma is abusing the system and taking advantage of patients by preventing competition for life-saving drugs to protect its bottom line. People like me have no choice but to pay whatever price the companies set.”
“It’s time to put patients’ lives ahead of drug industry profits.”
