Upton, House Republicans Push For Substitute To Democrats’ Drug Cost Bill

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fredupton73473737-29

Efforts are underway from both political parties to try to find ways to bring down the cost of prescription drugs across the country, with each side saying their plan is better than the other. Congressman Fred Upton says House Republicans have a bill called the “Lower Cost, More Cures Act” that they’re trying to get as a substitute for the Democrats’ “Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019” that’s before the House. Upton says their bill will build on the progress made over the last three years by his bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act. On Tuesday, he talked about meeting with a girl last week with spinal muscular atrophy.

“She had been on a drug for just barely 15 days, and already she was able to move her head back and forth for the first time in over a decade,” said Upton.

He says that drug was advanced by 21st Century Cures, and added another showing remarkable promise is a treatment for stage 3 and stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which in trials has had a survival rate of over 70%.

“All of these happened because of what we did on 21st Century Cures,” added Upton. “The Democratic bill, H.R. 3, would stifle the innovation.”

Congressman Tom Reed of New York added the GOP bill would also cap the cost of insulin, which he called the best example of problems with the price of prescription drugs right now.