Washington, DC—The Alliance to Protect Medical Innovation’s Executive Director Patrick O’Connor released the following statement on the Senate Finance Committee hearing on Drug Pricing in America:
“Today’s Senate Finance hearing was a perfect illustration of how complex this issue of drug pricing is. We saw a serious conversation about a topic on which there are no obvious answers. That lack of clarity was evident in the broad range of questions and answers, and we look forward to staying engaged in thoughtful debates that acknowledge the complexity and consequences of proposed policy changes.”
Before the hearing, Patrick O’Connor published an op-ed in Morning Consult: “The debate about drug prices is driven more by anecdotes and isolated examples than actual data about the broader trends. The headlines are dominated by medicines’ list prices, which rarely represent what patients actually spend because manufacturer rebates, insurance payments and other discounts dramatically reduce out-of-pocket payments. Lost in the shuffle are the hard facts about year-over-year spending on health care services.”
The Alliance to Protect Medical Innovation is a nonpartisan group committed to fostering a national conversation on medical innovation and patient access to care that is holistic and fact-based. The Alliance evaluates policy proposals and fact-checks claims affecting biomedical innovation, as well as responds to attacks on this innovation ecosystem. We are committed to preserving the pipeline of breakthrough medicines that reduce costs within the health care system and help people live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. The Alliance receives funding from biopharmaceutical companies and other entities that represent the industry.