Sen. Lesser Calls Out Drug Companies Threatening Drug Program

Press release from State Sen. Matt Lesser: State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) along with U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), his Middletown legislative colleagues, Representative Sean Scanlon, and Representative Quentin Phipps called out drug companies that are limiting restriction on who can access life saving medication. Senator Matt Lesser specifically called out two companies in particular, Eli Lilly and Sanofi, to put an end to both illegally erecting hurdles for patients to access affordable prescription drugs, such as insulin, from federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and other health care providers, under the 340B drug-pricing program.

“I am calling both these pharmaceutical companies out and demanding they stop restricting access and killing a program that is critical for people to survive,” said Sen. Lesser. “People should not have to worry about how they will be able to afford life-saving medication. They should not have to choose between putting food on the table or saving their life. These companies are denying drugs to people who need it to live.”

The 340B program provides discounted prices of important drugs to those who cannot afford full price prescriptions. The program requires drug makers to offer discounts on all outpatient drugs to FQHCs and other safety-net providers that serve low-income patients. Since June, a growing number of drug companies have told FQHCs and other providers that they may withhold 340B discounts that allow low-income residents to access prescription drugs at reasonable prices. Without these discounts, many patients will be unable to afford these live-sustaining medications.

This press release was produced by State Sen. Matt Lesser. The views expressed here are the author's own.