Press & Statements Archives

Prime Therapeutics Joins the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing

Dec 21, 2015

Prime Therapeutics LLC (Prime), an independent pharmacy benefit manager overseeing pharmacy benefits for health plans, employers, and government programs including Medicare and Medicaid, recently joined the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing (CSRxP). The coalition is a broad-based organization committed to raising awareness about high drug prices and advancing positive, market-oriented solutions to the affordability crisis caused by escalating drug prices. Read More

Rx Pricing – A Year in Review

Dec 17, 2015

Drug pricing has been a hot topic in 2015 — and what a year it has been! As… Read More

How Pfizer Set the Cost of Its New Drug at $9,850 a Month

Dec 9, 2015

Pfizer’s multistep pricing process shows drugmakers don’t just pick a lofty figure out of the air. At the same time, its process yielded a price that bore little relation to the drug industry’s oft-cited justification for its prices, the cost of research and development. Instead, the price that emerged was largely based on a complex analysis of the need for a new drug with this one’s particular set of benefits and risks, potential competing drugs, the sentiments of cancer doctors and a shrewd assessment of how health plans were likely to treat the product. Read More

Senate Committee Examines Drug Pricing Strategies

Dec 9, 2015

“For a breakthrough medication to be effective, it needs to be affordable, yet drug makers fail time and time again to abide by this fundamental principle. The Campaign commends the Senate Special Committee on Aging for challenging the pharmaceutical industry on the irresponsible pricing strategies that deliberately deny patients and consumers access to affordable treatments." Read More

Part D Enrollees Who Take Specialty Drugs Will See Out-of-Pocket Costs Rise in 2016

Dec 3, 2015

“This latest analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation paints a troubling picture for the future of the Medicare Part D program and beneficiaries who rely on access to affordable treatments." Read More

Health Spending in U.S. Topped $3 Trillion Last Year

Dec 2, 2015

“This rapid increase, which was the highest rate since 2002, was in part due to the introduction of new drug treatments for hepatitis C, as well as of those used to treat cancer and multiple sclerosis,” the administration said. The new treatments for hepatitis C, which are highly effective, accounted for $11.3 billion in new spending. Read More

Senators Release Report on Hepatitis C Drug Pricing

Dec 1, 2015

“As we all focus on how to ensure patients get the medications they need at an affordable price, we commend Senators Wyden and Grassley for undertaking this important investigation and for raising awareness around this rapidly growing issue for both sides of the aisle." Read More

Daraprim Still Priced 2,500% Higher Than Original Price

Nov 30, 2015

"While the adjusted price of Daraprim is an improvement from its original price tag, it is clear that this critical treatment is still priced far out of reach for many Americans. This same medication can be purchased overseas for $.66 a pill -- a fraction of what it costs in the U.S. -- which makes us question how the pharmaceutical industry can justify their outrageous and harmful pricing strategies." Read More

Fact vs. Fiction: PhRMA’s 10% Talking Point Edition

Nov 20, 2015

PhRMA often uses “retail prescription medicines” and “prescription medicines” interchangeably in discussing the total cost of drugs to the U.S. health care system. PhRMA also makes sure to note regularly that drug spending accounts for "only 10 percent" of all healthcare spending. Read More

PRESS STATEMENT: HHS to Explore Solutions to Unsustainable Drug Pricing

Nov 19, 2015

"With presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle actively talking about unsustainable prescription drug pricing, the issue is clearly bigger than politics — it’s about protecting American families and ensuring they can access the critical treatments they need at prices they can afford." Read More

Drug Prices Top Concern for Iowa Voters

Nov 18, 2015

"Simply put, voters are looking for relief from astronomical drug prices and favor candidates who understand this is a pocketbook issue for American families," said John Rother, executive director of the coalition. Read More

Policy Experts, Iowa Voters Share Concern Over Soaring Rx Costs

Nov 5, 2015

As prescription drugs become increasingly expensive, the issue of unsustainable drug pricing is quickly becoming a central focus of the 2016 Presidential election. Last week, the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing brought together policy experts and voters to discuss potential solutions during a panel discussion at Drake University. Read More