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Tuesday: House Lawmakers Must Press Pharma Execs on Vaccine Affordability, Accessibility

Public Citizen Experts Are Available to Discuss How the Government Can Ensure Reasonable Pricing and Access for All

The U.S. House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, part of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, will hold a hearing on Tuesday, July 21 to discuss ongoing efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Executives from pharmaceutical corporations Moderna, Pfizer, Merck, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca are expected to testify.

Public Citizen urges lawmakers to hold drug corporations to account and demand commitments to adequate supply and reasonable pricing of a future vaccine. Lawmakers should ask the executives:

  • What measures are your corporations taking to ensure affordability and access to vaccines worldwide, regardless of nationality, race or wealth?
  • If your corporation has pledged to offer a vaccine at a not-for-profit price, how will you determine that price?
  • Will your corporation publicly disclose detailed information on the research, manufacturing and other associated costs of the vaccine to ensure prices are set fairly?

More questions for the committee are available here.

Public Citizen has published reports on public investments in coronavirus vaccine research and has called on Congress to pass legislation to promote transparency and to ensure future vaccines and treatments are reasonably priced and accessible to everyone.

The following experts are available to speak on ongoing vaccine development and pricing:

  • Peter Maybarduk, director, Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines program, can speak about the imperative of global cooperation in meeting the extraordinary needs of the moment.
  • Steven Knievel, advocate, Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines program, can speak about executive and legislative remedies to ensure access to future vaccines.
  • Zain Rizvi, law and policy researcher, Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines program, can speak about the role of public funding in vaccine research and development.

Please contact Mike Stankiewicz at mstankiewicz@citizen.org, or (202) 588-7779 to speak with one of these experts, and read more about Public Citizen’s work on the coronavirus here.