Lawmakers Seek Explanation For ‘Staggering,’ ‘Outrageous’ Price Hikes
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Elijah Cummings wrote to Ariad Pharmaceuticals demanding data on their cancer treatment.
The Associated Press:
Lawmakers Demand Answers On Leukemia Drug Price Hikes
Two top lawmakers on Thursday demanded information from a drug company that has raised prices on a leukemia drug, calling increases of tens of thousands of dollars a sign the company puts profits before patients. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wrote ARIAD Pharmaceuticals and asked about price hikes for Iclusig, which is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia in some people. (10/20)
Stat:
Sanders Asks Ariad For Data To Explain Price Hikes In Cancer Drug
Call it Bernie Sanders vs. Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Act Two. The Vermont senator and erstwhile presidential candidate, who has helped make prescription drug pricing a high-profile issue, sent the company a letter on Thursday asking for a plethora of data that might explain a string of “staggering” and “outrageous” price hikes for an expensive cancer treatment. The move comes six days after Sanders tweeted about the price hikes, which sent Ariad stock plummeting and wiped out $387 million in its market capitalization in one day. (Silverman, 10/20)
The Hill:
Sanders Presses Drug Company To Explain Price Hike For Leukemia Drug
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) are pressing a drug company to explain a sharp price increase to its drug to treat leukemia. The lawmakers sent a letter to Ariad Pharmaceuticals questioning an increase in the price of the leukemia treatment Iclusig from $115,000 a year to $199,000 a year. The lawmakers say that the company also cut the number of doses in a package while keeping the price the same, effectively increasing the cost. (Sullivan, 10/20)
