Patently Ridiculous

Last week, the Senate held another hearing examining the rising price of prescription drugs.

I questioned the CEO of AbbVie, the company that makes one of the world’s best-selling prescription drugs, Humira. 

The price of that drug has increased more than 100 percent between 2012 and 2018, a ridiculous jump for medication so many people in Texas rely on.

AbbVie has amassed 136 patents on Humira to protect its exclusivity, applying for new ones just as the old ones are ready to expire. This limits competition that would normally lower the price.

My message was that at some point, exclusivity needs to end so lower-cost options can come to the market, offering patients more options.

Making sure Texans have access to their medication at a price they can afford remains one of my top priorities, and I look forward to continuing to work on this issue throughout this Congress.

You can watch what I had to say here.