A win for patient access, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed legislation last week that would have established a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB), and state-imposed price controls, in America’s 12th most-populous state.
Remind me, what are PDABs? State Prescription Drug Affordability Boards aim to cap, control, and dictate the price of drugs that manufacturers can charge.
Why it matters: PDABs have become a more prevalent idea for states to consider, despite growing concerns—articulated most clearly by patients in Colorado—that punitive cuts in list prices could undermine access.
What they’re saying: “He rejected a proposal to establish a government price-control board because this policy is not only unproven to lower drug prices, it would potentially restrict the access and creation of needed medications and life-saving treatments for families across the Commonwealth,” said a Youngkin spokesperson.
Meanwhile, in other states: There are currently eight established PDABs in Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington. As one of the nation’s first PDABs, Colorado’s PDAB is now reviewing whether a small group of drugs are “affordable” for patients, and then determining whether they qualify for an upper payment limit (UPL), Bio.News previously reported.
BIO’s take: “The veto of PDAB legislation in Virginia is a win for patients,” said Patrick Plues, BIO’s VP of State Government Affairs. “As we have seen across so many states, the PDAB concept is severely flawed and threatens access to medicines for patients while failing to impact out-of-pocket costs for them.”
What’s next: Expect legislative battles to continue, with 23 ongoing efforts in 18 states. (Notably, however, no state in this session has yet passed a PDAB bill into law.)
More reading: HealthHIV: Prescription Drug Affordability Boards (PDABs) and Upper Payment Limits (UPLs) Impact on Patients, Drug Pricing, and Innovation
