DeLauro Pans Reported Agreement by TPP Negotiators on Life-Saving Drugs

NEW HAVEN, CT—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released the following statement today on news that Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiators agreed to give eight years of monopoly protection to life-saving drugs:

“As negotiations continue in Atlanta, the monopoly for Big Pharma is one of the few outstanding issues to be officially settled. Unfortunately, reports have emerged that United States Trade Representative Froman has agreed to give at least an eight year exclusivity guarantee on life-saving medicines.

“I--and many of my colleagues--have repeatedly expressed our concern, through letters to the Administration and public statements, that the trajectory that the United States has been on with regard to meaningful access to life-saving medication is unacceptable. I want to associate myself with the statements made by AARP spokesman KJ Hertz in his blog post yesterday urging ‘negotiators to reject calls for additional monopoly protection for biologic medicines.’

“This nation has a well-documented history of promoting harmful policies that inflate the price of life saving medicine so that big pharma can collect additional profits on the backs of seniors, veterans, patients suffering with chronic illness and the most vulnerable in our society. That is why I urge our negotiators to reject this push by pharmaceutical special interests to grant additional monopoly guarantees for certain prescription drugs under the TPP.”


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