David Mitchell, diagnosed with multiple myeloma, highlights the high costs of cancer drugs and the influence of pharmaceutical companies on patient advocacy groups. He advocates for the Patients for Affordable Drugs organization, which focuses on reducing prescription drug prices without corporate funding, and emphasizes the need for reform in drug pricing practices. The document discusses various actions and proposals needed to address the financial burden on patients and taxpayers while mobilizing support for legislative changes.

1. David Mitchell
Founder &
President
USC Annenberg’s Center for
Health Journalism
May 15, 2018
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2. My Battle With Blood Cancer
Diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma
in 2010
Cancer brought me face-to-face
with high price drugs
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3. Patient Voices Absent on Drug Pricing
83 percent of patient groups with funding of
over $7.5 million take money from drug
corporations
Some, including IMF, have activated patients
against proposals aimed at lowering drug
prices
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4. Patients For Affordable Drugs
Only national patient
organization focused
exclusively on policies to
lower Rx prices
Independent: We don’t accept funding from any
organizations that profit from the development or
distribution of prescription drugs 4

5. Stories of Pain and Struggle
We have
collected 13,000
stories and
82,000 email
addresses.
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6. Mobilizing Patients: State legislation
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7. State legislation Successes
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8. Mobilizing Patients: Coming to DC
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9. • 1950s: Thalidomide invented & causes terrible birth defects
• 1990s: Accidental discovery of effectiveness against multiple
myeloma
• Molecule tweaked, drug renamed lenalidomide and brought to market as
Revlimid
• Today: Revlimid is 63% of Celgene revenue
• 2017: Celgene raises price of Revlimid 20% to $18,000 for 28
capsules
Revlimid: A Story Of Patient and Taxpayer Abuse
How do they get away with it?
• Fail to provide samples to generic companies
• Pay-for-delay
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10. Mobilizing Patients: Press + storytelling
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11. • The Good:
• Action to prevent corporations from blocking cheaper generics
• Require list prices on DTC
• Cap out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare beneficiaries
• Part B reform
• Require PBMs to act in benefit of patients
• The Missing:
• Direct negotiations as promised by the President
• Clear set of proposals to stop patent abuse
• The Ugly:
• Targeting other countries when we should be targeting Big Pharma
• Encouraging outcomes based pricing deals
Trump: The Good, The Missing, The Ugly
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12. • Taxpayers are paying twice for new drugs
 Once to develop new drugs and again paying prices based on a false claim of high risk
• These drugs will bankrupt families and our system
• We need a national dialogue about this
• NIH meeting & follow up
Future Directions: Taxpayer IP
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13. • CAR-T is the poster child
• NIH invested $200 million in CAR-T
• At $475,000 Novartis will realize 65% profit
 Right price is closer to $160,000
• We will keep pushing on this issue for the long haul
Future Directions: New therapies/CAR-T
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14. • We have resources to do more direct state and federal lobbying
• We plan to engage in some political campaigns to highlight and boost the
issue of drug pricing for the new Congress and statehouses
• Stay tuned
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15. @p4ad_ @DavidP4AD
Patients For Affordable Drugs
Contact and
Resources:
David@patientsforaffordabledrugs.org
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