House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Hearing on Developments in the Prescription Drug Market

Statement from IDSA President Johan Bakken, MD, PhD and HIVMA Chair Carlos del Rio, MD:

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) commend Chairman Jason Chaffetz and Ranking Member Elijah Cummings for holding today’s bi-partisan hearing that will spotlight the impact on patient care of significant price increases for older, off-patent medications. We were troubled by the documents released by the Committee in advance of the hearing that include boasting by Turing executives of making profit as high as $375 million from the sale of 5,000 bottles of pyrimethamine – a 60-year old medication that Turing had no role in developing and that is critical to treating a potentially life-threatening infection.  In addition, despite repeated public assurances that everyone who needed the medication would have access to it, company officials were well aware of the serious barriers to treatment patients and providers faced.   

The access issues highlighted in the Committee documents reflect the challenges reported by infectious diseases and HIV providers and their patients in treating serious infections like toxoplasmosis and Cryptococcal meningitis due to significant price increases for the standard treatments for these conditions. As a result, patients have experienced treatment delays and extended hospital stays and significant provider resources have been devoted to securing medications that previously were readily available. We look forward to working with the Congressmen and other policymakers to develop solutions that ensure patient access while stimulating innovation in areas of unmet medical need.

Read the IDSA and HIVMA letters submitted for today’s hearing.

HIVMA represents more than 5,000 medical providers and researchers working on the frontlines of the HIV epidemic across the United States. The Association's mission is to promote access to quality HIV care and to advocate policies that ensure a comprehensive and humane response to the AIDS pandemic informed by science and social justice.