Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Washington – Today, the Lower Drug Prices Now coalition hosted a tele-town hall featuring Wisconsin Representative Gwen Moore, former Representative Donna Edwards, Stephanie Bloomingdale, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, and Gary Mitchell, President of the Wisconsin Alliance of Retired Americans to demand affordable COVID drugs and accountability for drug corporations that are profiteering off of the coronavirus pandemic.
Politico – 5/19/20
“Skeptics swiftly questioned bestowing a massive BARDA grant on a startup run by Edwards.
“They’re gearing up to give the largest award in history to a corporate executive who quintupled the price of naloxone in the middle of the opioid epidemic,” said Margarida Jorge, campaign director for Lower Drug Prices Now. “Yet again, the administration is handing over taxpayer dollars away to a drug corporation with no strings attached and no guarantee that we’ll get affordable access to the medicines developed with our money.”
Stat News – 5/19/20
“But one consumer advocate, Margarida Jorge, campaign director for Lower Drug Prices Now, slammed the decision.
“This White House seems to have an open spigot of taxpayer dollars going to drug corporations that profiteer off pandemics. They’re gearing up to give the largest award in history to a corporate executive who quintupled the price of (an overdose antidote) in the middle of the opioid epidemic,” she said. “Yet again, the administration is handing over taxpayer dollars to a drug corporation with no strings attached and no guarantee that we’ll get affordable access to the medicines developed with our money.”
Des Moines Register – 5/11/20
LTE by Dr. Selden Spencer, Ames
Des Moines Register – 5/7/20
LTE by Jerry Hageman, Waterloo
Roll Call – 4/22/20
A new drug pricing coalition will launch its first campaign Thursday, calling on lawmakers to ensure that vaccines or treatments for COVID-19 will be affordable for patients, according to information shared exclusively with CQ Roll Call.
Politico Prescription Pulse – 4/17/2020
“Skeptics argued that the pledge has its limits, such as not-for-profit being on an emergency basis, not generally. J&J has also secured more than $600 million in government funding for its vaccine and antiviral efforts, leading some to argue the government should have an ultimate say in price.
“It really shouldn’t be up to the prescription drug companies,” said Margarida Jorge, national campaign director for Lower Drug Prices Now. “It’s like not this thing is going anywhere. We’re going to need it and we’re going to need it for the long term, like with the polio vaccine.”
