POUGHKEEPSIE -Congressman Pat Ryan has introduced legislation to lower the price of prescription drugs for Hudson Valley families. The “Stopping Pharma’s Ripoffs and Drug Savings For All Act” would stop pharmaceutical companies from what he said was abusing the current U.S. patent law and make less-costly, generic alternatives easier to produce.
“For too long, Big Pharma has been allowed to game the system, rake in record profits, and rip off hard-working Hudson Valley families. I’m pushing relentlessly to finally hold Big Pharma accountable and lower the cost of prescription drugs,” said Ryan. “This bipartisan legislation holds Big Pharma accountable and lowers drug prices,” Ryan said. “It lowers drug costs across the board and generations.”
Fifteen-year-old JT Crawford traveled from Middletown to attend Ryan’s Poughkeepsie announcement. With a plea for help for diabetics like him, he said ,“I’ve had Type 1 diabetes since I was 12 years old. I’ve had to rely on insulin and medical necessities on a daily basis to keep me healthy.”
With a large crowd listening, he expressed his frustration. “I loathe the fact that kids like me, who already have so much on their plate, also have stress about affording insulin.” Ryan told the crowd that Crawford had even traveled to see Ryan in Washington to advocate for lowering the cost of insulin.
The CEO of Cornerstone Family Healthcare, David Jolly, called the legislation “crucial in addressing the inflated costs of prescription drugs caused by the misuse of the patent system by pharmaceutical companies,” and added “By ensuring that brand name drug companies must justify additional patents, this act promotes affordable healthcare, aligning with our mission to provide accessible services to underserved communities. We commend this effort to make essential medications more affordable and accessible for all Americans.”
Ryan explained that drug companies can develop a new drug,…
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