WXOW
By Mike Bunge
WASHINGTON DC – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (DFL- MN) is praising the Biden Administration for announcing the first ten drugs that will be subject to Medicare price negotiations beginning in 2026.
Klobuchar says this move was made possible through provisions based on Klobuchar’s legislation to lift the nearly 20-year ban that stopped Medicare from being able to negotiate lower drug prices for seniors signed into law last year.
“The cost of prescription drugs is simply too high. For too long, big drug companies have put their profits ahead of the well-being of millions of Americans who need life-sustaining medications,” says Senator Klobuchar. “That is why I have worked for years to end the big drug companies’ sweetheart deal that artificially raised prices at the expense of our seniors. Today, we took a historic step toward lowering the price of some of the most widely-used, costly medications with the announcement of the first batch of drugs that will be subject to price negotiations with Medicare. I’ll keep fighting to make sure that all Americans can access the medications they need.”
Klobuchar says the first ten drugs selected for Medicare drug price negotiation to lower prices are:
Eliquis, which prevents and treats blood clots and was taken by 3,505,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
Jardiance, which treats diabetes and heart failure and was taken by 1,321,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
Xarelto, which prevents and treats blood clots and reduces risks for patients with coronary or peripheral artery disease. This drug was taken by 1,311,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year.
Januvia, which treats diabetes and was taken by 885,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
Farxiga, which treats diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease, and was taken by 639,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
Entresto, which treats heart failure and was taken by 521,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
Enbrel, which treats rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis, and was taken by 47,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
Imbruvica, which treats blood cancers and was taken by 22,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
Stelara, which treats psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and Ulcerative Colitis, and was taken by 20,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
And Fiasp, Fiasp FlexTouch, Fiasp PenFill, Novolog, Novolog Flexpen, and Novolog Penfill which treat diabetes and were taken by 763,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year.
In February, two of Klobuchar and Senator Chuck Grassley’s (R-IA) bipartisan bills to promote competition and reduce drug prices - the Preserving Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act and the Stop STALLING Act - passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by voice vote.
In February 2021, Klobuchar and Grassley introduced bipartisan legislation to allow imports of more affordable prescription drugs from Canada. The Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act would allow Americans to safely import prescription drugs from Canada, lowering prices for consumers and promoting competition in the pharmaceutical market.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar tours Southwestern Minnesota