We are deeply concerned to hear that House Democrats are considering including a bill like H.R.3, or similar policies, in the upcoming reconciliation package. As has been widely reported by the Congressional Budget Office and academics, H.R. 3 would lead to the loss of over 50 new medicines, and we have no ideas which ones. Will it halt the development of new platform technologies that could lead to the vaccine against a future pandemic? Where would we be today if H.R. 3 had been in effect over the last decade? Progress against COVID-19, cancer, or other hard to treat conditions may have been out of reach.
As physician researchers who design and run the clinical trials that lead to the development of new medicines, we are deeply concerned that Congress would be focused on making us less and not more prepared for future pandemics and other threats to patient health.
H.R. 3 mimics the tactics used in other countries where access to cutting edge medicines is significantly stymied. Prioritizing other initiatives over access to these medicines for American patients is not sound public policy.
We strongly urge you to oppose including H.R. 3 or other similar proposals in the mark-up of the upcoming reconciliation package.