Patient Groups with Deep Ties to Big Pharma Petition to Undermine Medicare Drug Price Negotiations
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new Public Citizen report, titled Patient Groups, Big Pharma & Medicare Price Negotiation, analyzes pharma-connected patient groups that are supporting the EPIC Act to weaken Medicare drug price negotiations by delaying and exempting more drugs.
The Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program established through the IRA represents a monumental step forward in bringing savings to patients and taxpayers through lower drug prices. The EPIC Act, if passed, would lengthen the already long delay period before small molecule drugs are eligible for negotiation — effectively excluding many medicines from negotiations entirely or shortening the period patients have access to lower negotiated prices to only one or two years. Lengthening the negotiation delay period would keep prices higher for longer, costing taxpayers and patients tens of billions of dollars while reducing access to medicines for seniors and people with disabilities.
Here are some quick facts from the report:
- Out of the 74 organizations that signed onto a recent letter in support of the EPIC Act, at least 55 (74%) have direct financial or partnership relationships with prescription drug corporations.
- Out of the 74 organizations that signed the letter, 65 (87%) are funded by or affiliated with corporate interests.
- When combining signatories that are divisions of the same organization, there are 70 signatories, 65 (93%) of which are funded by or affiliated with corporate interests.
Public Citizen experts conclude when patient groups side with the pharmaceutical industry against proposed policy reforms, they lend credibility and a sympathetic voice to industry lobbying efforts, in this case, to hinder a tremendous leap for U.S. drug access.
“Americans overwhelmingly support Medicare negotiating lower prices for all prescription drugs, not further tying its hands by prohibiting price negotiations for more than a decade after a drug is approved,” said Steve Knievel, Public Citizen drug pricing advocate and co-author of the report. “Policymakers must reject calls from Big Pharma’s network of lobbyists and partner organizations to undermine the Medicare drug price negotiation program and instead build on its success.”