WASHINGTON, D.C. — Every month, Patients For Affordable Drugs highlights two Price Fighting Heroes taking notable action in the fight to lower prescription drug prices. This month, P4AD is pleased to recognize Oregon state Sen. Dennis Linthicum and Patient Advocate Ann Neilson for their relentless efforts to stand up to Big Pharma and help Americans afford prescription drugs.
The Republican lawmaker and his daughter live with Type 1 diabetes and require insulin to survive. After years of watching the price of insulin skyrocket from $15 to $330 a vial, Sen. Linthicum became an unwavering sponsor of The Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act, or House Bill 4005, which shines light on the shadowy drug pricing process, giving consumers critical information about which drug companies are raising prices in Oregon.
Ann Neilson, a retired nurse from Madras, Oregon, needs Restasis, an eye drop for chronic dry eye for which no generic option is available. The skyrocketing cost of the drug forced her to ration her prescription, putting her vision at risk. Neilson testified in favor of HB 4005’s passage.
Sen. Linthicum’s commitment to HB 4005 and Ann Neilson’s advocacy pushed back against dozens of drug industry lobbyists determined to see the bill fail. The bill was signed into law on March 13 despite aggressive opposition from Big Pharma.
Patients For Affordable Drugs’ Price Fighting Heroes is a series honoring patients, private sector leaders, policy makers, and elected officials advocating for patients and fighting for lower drug prices.
Over the last few months, P4AD has honored FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, multiple sclerosis patient Victoria Stuessel, former Administrator of CMS Andy Slavitt, metastatic breast cancer patient and advocate Becky Hall, Nevada State Senator Yvanna Cancela, and T1International founder Elizabeth Rowley
P4AD hopes to encourage Price Fighting Heroes to continue their good work and urge others to join the fight. We plan to feature our heroes on our social media accounts and honor them at an event in 2019. If you have someone you want to nominate as a hero, you can do so here.
Patients For Affordable Drugs is the only independent national patient organization focused exclusively on achieving policy changes to lower the price of prescription drugs.
