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.”
Front Page Live – 3/26/20
A few weeks ago, Matt Colvin of Tennessee was the subject of massive national outrage. Colvin’s crime? Buying up 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer and selling them at a massive markup on Amazon. Colvin’s actions were worthy of the outrage. But Americans should direct the bulk of anger at Big Pharma corporations and their allies in the White House. These pharma profiteers are preparing to price gauge COVID-19 patients on a massive scale.
Religion News Service – 3/26/20
OPED by Rev. Liz Theoharris
Maine Beacon – 3/5/20
At polls across Maine on Tuesday, hundreds of voters spoke with health care advocates and signed pledge cards calling on Sen. Susan Collins to do more to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Many Mainers punctuated their message by sharing how much they pay each month for their prescriptions, often totaling thousands of dollars.
Stat News – 3/5/20
Progressive Democrats are pushing to constrain how much drug makers can charge for a coronavirus vaccine.
A group of lawmakers held a press conference Thursday to pressure the Trump administration to impose price controls on any coronavirus-related treatment, and to call on their colleagues to reconsider some of the ambitious drug pricing legislation they have put forward this Congress. Their platform goes far beyond the Medicare negotiation legislation from Speaker Nancy Pelosi that passed the House in December; they instead highlighted a bill, among others, that would create an independent committee to set the price for any drug created using federal research.
The Hill – 1/16/20
The health insurance industry is donating big to Democrats even amid criticism of the industry and growing calls for “Medicare for All” from the progressive wing of the party.
By Margarida Jorge and Frank Clemente
The newly passed House bill allowing Medicare negotiations on drug prices is a first step toward taming Big Pharma and broader corporate abuse.
Last week’s House vote to rein in skyrocketing prescription drug prices was overdue. Now it’s up to the Senate and President Donald Trump to take action.
