Put Patients Ahead of Politics in Addressing Coronavirus

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Kenneth E. Thorpe, chairman of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, issued the following statement regarding the coronavirus emergency funding package:

"American patients are counting on our nation's leaders to fight the coronavirus. This effort understandably begins with an emergency funding measure to support the development of an effective vaccine, bolster our nation's stockpiles of protective gear and medical equipment, and aid state and local governments.

"Yet reports suggest that some lawmakers are insisting on inserting price-setting measures. This hyper-partisan gamesmanship prioritizes politics over patients. And if those pushing for an 'affordability provision' succeed, the development of a vaccine will inevitably slow, putting Americans in even more jeopardy.

"Therapeutic and diagnostic development is a massively risky and expensive endeavor. America's biotechnology firms need unqualified support from lawmakers as they work to identify ways to prevent and treat this deadly virus.

"The so-called 'affordability provision' will do nothing but chill research into coronavirus and delay the creation of crucial therapies. From small biotech firms like Moderna Therapeutics to large companies like Gilead Sciences, countless researchers are already working hard on the novel coronavirus. Now is not the time for lawmakers to push for government price setting, especially since there will be plenty of competition in the marketplace.

"The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease urges lawmakers to put patients ahead of politics and pass this emergency funding measure without dictating the price of new medicines."

The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is an international coalition of hundreds of patient, provider, community, business and labor groups, and health policy experts, committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability and rising health care costs: chronic disease.