The Hill - Reducing Access Barriers to Low-Cost, Life Saving Medications

Op-Ed

By Rep. Robin Kelly

On its website, Mylan pharmaceutical company earnestly offers customers this assurance: "Doing what's right is sacred to us. We behave responsibly, even when nobody's looking."

Well, when no one was looking over the last nine years, Mylan hiked the cost of the emergency life-saving drug Epinephrine pen, EpiPen, from $100 to $600. Access to an EpiPen can mean life or death for thousands of children and adults who suffer from potentially fatal reactions to toxic allergens. Yet, this ethical dilemma didn't stop Mylan from choosing profits over human life.

Mylan isn't alone. Last year, Turing Pharmaceuticals increased the cost of the Daraprim pill, another life-saving drug, from $14 per pill to $750. Former Turing CEO Martin Shkreli essentially thumbed his nose at Congress, much of the pharmaceutical industry, and HIV patients in need of medication.
When getting rich becomes more important than people's health, it's time for Congress to restore balance, protect the public interest and ensure Americans have consistent access to affordable medicines.

The EpiPen was first approved 30 years ago, but it faces no competition from generics. Since Mylan made improvements to the drug, it was able to renew its patent protection and shelter itself from potential generic competition.

It generally follows that prescription drug market competition is better for consumers. Nearly nine out of ten prescriptions are for generic drugs. Yet, generics comprise only 28 percent of the total prescription drug spending in the United States. This is problematic.

The challenge is generic drug manufacturers who wish to bring low-cost alternative medicines to market can face high costs and a long approval process. These industry barriers also translate into access barriers for children and families dependent on low-cost, life saving medications. As Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, I am committed to working with both policy makers and industry to create a pathway for innovative, affordable drugs to be brought to market. Accessible pricing and streamlined approval to generics promotes health equity. Delaying the approval of generic drugs only emboldens companies seeking to make huge profits with no regard for the health of the people they so solemnly claim to serve. There is nothing equitable about putting profit above people. This is like putting the seeds of bad apples in ripe soil--nothing good grows from that. In the end, Congress needs to ensure that when nobody's looking, competition will be strong and expansive enough to restrain greed. That is the equitable and responsible move to make.

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