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To: HHS Secretary Alex Azar
Stop Big Pharma from price gouging on the coronavirus
The coronavirus is a public health crisis, not an opportunity for Big Pharma to get rich at our expense. Use every tool at your disposal, including Section 1498 and the Defense Production Act, to make sure medicines to treat the coronavirus are affordable for everyone.
Why is this important?
Big Pharma companies are already trying to profit from drugs to treat or prevent coronavirus infection -- and we need your help to stop them.
Last week Gilead Sciences was caught attempting to get exclusive rights to one drug that has shown promise in treating covid-19. Under intense public pressure they backed off, but they and other Pharma companies still have the ability to raise the price high and gouge everyone for desperately needed medicine.
Under a federal law known as Section 1498, the government can override a patent at any time as long as the company receives "reasonable compensation." This gives the government critical leverage to negotiate lower prices. And the government could even start producing lifesaving treatments itself under the Defense Production Act.
Will you help use that leverage to save lives and stop Big Pharma from gouging people?