Trick or Treat for Affordable Medicines
In today’s blog, Laura Musselwhite, a third year medical student from Duke University in the USA writes about the Halloween-themed campaign to improve access to medicines in the US and worldwide.
Biologics cost on average 22 times more than other medicines
On Friday, Oct 30th medical students from universities throughout the United States visited Congress at four locations around the country fully costumed in their white coats, gave out “treats” to Congressional representatives and urged them not to “trick” the nation’s patients with a bad ‘biologic’ medicines proposal.
The demonstration was organized by the AffordableMedsNow.org Campaign, cosponsored by the American Medical Student Association, a coalition of over 67,000 medical and pre-medical students nationwide, and Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, an international grassroots organization that aims to improve access to medicines domestically and abroad.
Biologics are special medicines derived from living cells and make up 1 in 4 new drugs approved by the FDA. They include most vaccines and the majority of anticancer agents. Biologics cost on average 22 times more than other medicines—examples include Herceptin for breast cancer at $37,000 per patient per year and Humira, used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease priced at $50,000 annually.
Medical students believe that the biologics proposals being considered part of health reform bills will prohibit price-lowering generic competition by giving pharmaceutical companies 12 years of market exclusivity—7 more years than other drugs despite similar R&D costs and a recommendation by the Federal Trade Commission for ZERO years. During this time, generic competitors are precluded from making cheaper, generic versions.
The AffordableMedsNow.org Campaign further explains that loopholes in the proposals will allow pharmaceutical companies to make minor changes to drugs such as changing dosages and get another 12 years of market exclusivity. UAEM and AMSA are concerned that these loopholes could hurt drug innovation that might address unmet medical needs.
8 white-coated volunteers and patients who had needed biologics for urged Congress to support no more than 5 years of exclusivity—the same given to conventional medicines—and asked Congress to close loopholes that students argued would allow companies to make small changes to the drug and get another 12 years of data protection.
Jane Hamsher, a three time breast cancer survivor and cofounder of the nonprofit organization Public Option Please, said the following, “As a three time breast cancer survivor, it’s important to me that lifesaving biologic drugs be affordable and available to everyone around the world. But if Congress gives big pharmaceutical companies endless monopolies on these drugs, it will not only stifle innovation, it will also deny access to those who need them most. Many universities, doctors and academics are compromised by their financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry, and fear a loss of funding if they speak out. So medical students in the United States are leading the fight on behalf of their patients. They are asserting that health care is a human right, more important than protecting corporate profits. They know that what Congress does today will critically affect their ability to heal us all. I hope their fellow medical students around the world join them in this profoundly moral cause, because their commitment to shaping a better future is inspirational.”
“Many of these lifesaving medicines cost tens of thousands of dollars annually—more than many Americans make in a year, says Laura Musselwhite, an organizer for the Washington DC campaign and Duke medical student. “Without lower-costing generics, biologic medicines will be a pipedream for most Americans and virtually all of the developing world.”
Jane Andrews, a public health and medical student at Johns Hopkins University, said “While on the wards, I took care of 2 different patients with psoriasis who came secondary to their alcoholism, having turned to alcohol for inability to control their extremely painful and uncomfortable condition. The best medications for psoriasis are Biologics, and cost thousands of dollars a year. in one case, these drugs were completely out of the question as the patient was a construction worker without health care insurance.”
About the Affordable Meds Now Campaign: To help, please visit affordablemedsnow.org and to become more involved, please email Laura Musselwhite at laura.musselwhite@duke.edu