June 19,2018

Press Contact:

202-224-4515, Katie Niederee and Nicole Hager

Hatch Announces Hearing on Prescription Drug Affordability and Innovation with HHS Secretary Azar

WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today announced that the Finance Committee will convene a hearing with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar to consider strategies to address prescription drug affordability and innovation. The hearing will take place on June 26, at 9:30 a.m. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 

“Americans of all ideological stripes agree: The costs of prescription drugs are too high,” Hatch said. “But at the same time, Americans want access to leading, breakthrough treatments. The best way to both reduce costs and ensure that life-changing drugs remain accessible is to boost competition, especially with new drugs that have the potential to cure diseases but face limited competition. The hearing will give Finance Committee members the opportunity to engage with Secretary Azar directly about the administration’s drug pricing blueprint, with a particular focus on reforms to Medicare and Medicaid, as well as promote member discussion on encouraging innovation and competition in the prescription drug space." 

The witness at the hearing will be:

  •  Alex Azar, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services

Who: Senate Finance Committee
What:  
“Prescription Drug Affordability and Innovation: Addressing Challenges in Today’s Market”
Where: 
215 Dirksen Senate Office Building; Washington, D.C. 20510
When: 
Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at 9:30am

For media inquiries and additional information, including webcast and testimony details, please visit: http://finance.senate.gov/hearings.  

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