Drug companies are putting profits over people, forcing Arizona families to choose between paying their mortgage and receiving lifesaving medicine. From Arizonans trying to manage chronic conditions to those fighting for their lives, drug companies are taking advantage of our most vulnerable citizens.
Here are just a few examples:
- Since 2007, the manufacturer of the EpiPen has raised the price of this lifesaving drug over 526% so they can line their shareholders' pockets at the expense of people with severe allergies. (New York Times, 8/29/16)
- For the more than 750,000 Arizonans who have asthma, the cost of drugs like Advair, that stops life-threatening asthma attacks, are skyrocketing out of control. (Arizona Public Radio, KNAU, 1/26/16)
- Just last year, former New York hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli tried to defend his new drug company's initial 5,456% increase of the drug Daraprim, which provides lifesaving treatment to patients with toxoplasmosis. (New York Times, 9/20/15) As recently as 2009, Daraprim cost only $1 per pill, but once Shkreli got his hands on it in 2015 he hiked the price up to $750 per pill. (CNN Money, 8/25/16)
- Between 2008 and 2014, prices for the top name-brand drugs in the United States jumped 127%, which is far higher than the 11% rate of regular inflation during that same time. To make matters worse, of the top 20 selling medicines in the world, we pay three times more on average than Great Britain. (Reuters, 10/12/15)
Access to lifesaving drugs shouldn't be a luxury that's out of reach for Arizonan families. We need to fight back against drug companies putting profits over people.
The Alliance for Healthcare Affordability is standing up to abusive drug companies and fighting back against price gouging that's hurting hardworking Arizonans.
Show drug companies that enough is enough by pledging to fight for affordable drug prices for Arizona.
