“In a statement, Margarida Jorge, campaign director for Lower Drug Prices Now, said the group has no faith that Slaoui will act ethically.”
“There is no reason to believe that Mr. Slaoui will operate any differently than the many other former Pharma executives who litter the administration and consistently protect the interests of their industry allies over public health and patients,” Jorge said.”
Pharmaceutical Technology, GlobalData Healthcare – 7/16/20
Margarida Jorge, campaign director, Lower Drug Prices Now, was more forthright. “This White House seems to have an open spigot of taxpayer dollars going to drug corporations that profiteer off of pandemics,” she commented. “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. 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.”
Salon – 7/16/20
“We oppose this kind of corruption and blatant conflict of interest,” said the healthcare coalition Lower Drug Prices Now in response to the ruling.
“The ruling by the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) came in response to an ethics complaint filed in May by Public Citizen and Lower Drug Prices Now.”
STAT – 7/16/20
“He should be just as accountable to the American people as any other government official,” Margarda Jorge, who heads the advocacy group Lower Drug Prices Now.
“The IG’s decision is extremely disappointing. Mr. Slaoui’s position is core to the government’s vaccine development efforts, and he should be just as accountable to the American people as any other government official. This administration has demonstrated a clear disregard for ethics and a willingness to funnel billions of taxpayer dollars to their Pharma corporate cronies without transparency or accountability.”
Kaiser Health News – 7/15/20
Washington Post – 7/15/20
Monday’s ruling by the Office of Inspector General came in response to a complaint filed by the advocacy groups Public Citizen and Lower Drug Prices Now.
Public Citizen and Lower Drug Prices Now contend there is no basis in law for Slaoui to run Operation Warp Speed without being a full-time government employee or a “special government employee,” a designation that permits the government to tap outside people with unique expertise for up to 130 days.
