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Amphastar
Cummings and Sanders sent a letter tto the CEO of Amphastar Pharmaceuticals requesting information about the increasing prices the company has been charging for naloxone, a drug used by health care providers, first responders, and police departments across the country to treat life-threatening opiate overdoses. -
HHS
At the urging of Cummings and Sanders, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General agreed to investigate how sudden price hikes by generic drug manufacturers are driving up the cost of taxpayer-supported health care. Cummings and Sanders requested this investigation after generic drug manufacturers refused to provide meaningful documentation to support their price increases. Federal law currently requires drug companies to provide this information to HHS. -
Valeant
Cummings sent a letter to Chairman Jason Chaffetz requesting the Committee hold a hearing and request documents from Valeant about its huge price increases its prices for Isuprel and Nitropress—about 525% and 212% respectively—immediately after buying the drugs from Marathon Pharmaceuticals in February. -
Legislation
Cummings and Sanders introduced the Medicaid Generic Drug Price Fairness Act. This legislation would extend the current requirement that brand-name drug manufacturers pay a rebate to Medicaid when their prices rise faster than inflation to generic drug manufacturers. Delegate Holmes Norton and Representatives Levin, Sarbanes, Edwards, Brown, DeSaulnier, Fudge, Hastings, and Cartwright are all current cosponsors of the House version of this legislation. -
Amphastar
Cummings sent a letter urging Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, and Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford to take aggressive action to negotiate an agreement with Amphastar. Frosh announced later that month that he had initiated negotiations with Amphastar. Those negotiations are ongoing. -
Amphastar
Cummings and Sanders sent a letter to the National Governors Association, National Lieutenant Governors Association, and National Association of Attorneys General, making their members aware of the price increases and urging them to follow the lead of New York and other states that have negotiated agreements with Amphastar to reduce the price of naloxone. -
Amphastar
Cummings and Sandars sent a similar letter to the United States Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Counties. Amphastar has entered into agreements with at least 3 states—New York, Ohio, and Massachusetts—to lower the price of naloxone. The company is currently in discussions with several more states to do the same. -
Valeant
Cummings and Sanders sent a letter to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., requesting information about why the company increased its prices for Isuprel and Nitropress –about 525% and 212% respectively—immediately after buying the drugs from Marathon Pharmaceuticals in February. Valeant is the only company that sells these two life-saving medications. Valeant refused to provide any of the documents or information requested. -
Supplements
Cummings sent letters to Warner West Pharmacy & Supplies and CVS Health after CBS News reported that the pharmacy submitted an insurance claim for more than $44,000 on behalf of one of its customers for a widely available nutritional supplement known as Resveratrol—an antioxidant derived from grapes that the pharmacy reportedly sells over the counter for about $600. CVS and Warner West are cooperating with the Committee’s investigation. -
Legislation
Cummings introduced the House version of the Prescription Drug Affordability Act. This bill will improve Medicare and Medicaid; enhance transparency; encourage competition; and make prescription drugs more affordable for everyone. The language from the Medicaid Generic Drug Price Fairness Act has been incorporated into this more comprehensive bill. -
Turning
Cummings and Sanders sent a letter </a>requesting information from Turing after it significantly increased the price of Daraprim—a drug used to treat a life-threatening parasitic infection that primarily affects individuals with suppressed immune systems, such as pregnant women and people with HIV/AIDS—virtually overnight after acquiring the drug. The next day, Cummings sent a letter to Chaffetz requesting that the Committee hold a hearing with Turing’s CEO Shkreli. -
Turning
Cummings and Sanders sent a letter </a>requesting information from Turing after it significantly increased the price of Daraprim—a drug used to treat a life-threatening parasitic infection that primarily affects individuals with suppressed immune systems, such as pregnant women and people with HIV/AIDS—virtually overnight after acquiring the drug. The next day, Cummings sent a letter to Chairman Chaffetz requesting that the Committee hold a hearing with Turing’s CEO, Martin Shkreli. -
Turning
Cummings sent another letter to Shkreli regarding serious allegations that Turing is “harming AIDS patients by delaying the provision of Daraprim in direct violation of federal anti-discrimination regulations,” which is hindering access to Daraprim for certain 340B drug program participants. -
Valeant
All 18 Democratic Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform sent a letter requesting that Chairman Jason Chaffetz issue a subpoena to Valeant, compelling the company to turn over the previously requested documents. The Members also requested that Chaffetz invite Valeant’s CEO J. Michael Pearson to testify at a hearing along with Turing Pharmaceuticals’ CEO Martin Shkreli, because both companies follow the same business strategy of purchasing older drugs and immediately ra -
Turning
Cummings and Sanders issued a joint statement after failing to receive a response from Turing explaining why the company dramatically hiked the price of Daraprim overnight and has yet to lower the price of Daraprim despite pledging to do so on September 22nd. -
Turning
The New York attorney general began an investigation of Turing to determine whether the company has violated antitrust laws by restricting the distribution of Daraprim as a way to prevent competition from generic manufacturers. -
Valeant
DOJ issued a subpoena to Valeant Pharmaceuticals, requesting information about how Valeant prices and distributes its drugs. -
GAO Request
Cummings and Sanders ask that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) undertake a study to examine the rising prices of prescription generic and brand drugs. GAO has accepted the Members’ request. -
Turing
Turing responded to Cummings and Sanders’ Sept. 21 letter, refusing “under the advice of counsel” to provide any of the documents or information requested. -
Valeant
All 18 Democratic Committee Members sent a letter requesting that Chairman Jason Chaffetz schedule a vote on November 17 on subpoenas to compel Valeant’s CEO J. Michael Pearson and Turing’s CEO Martin Shkreli to produce documents they have been withholding from Congress about the skyrocketing prices of their prescription drugs. -
Valeant
Cummings sent a letter to Valeant’s CEO J. Michael Pearson requesting transcribed interviews with several of the company’s employees after new allegations were raised about Valeant’s relationship with Philidor Rx Services, a mail-order “phantom” pharmacy that Valeant allegedly used to mask its price increases and circumvent the traditional insurance reimbursement process. -
Hearing
Chairman Chaffetz agreed to invite the interim CEO of Valeant Pharmaceutials, Howard B. Schiller, to testify before the Committee about the rising costs the company has been charging for prescription drugs.Chairman Chaffetz agreed to invite Shkreli to testify before the Committee about the rising costs the company has been charging for prescription drugs.
