Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined 21 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief supporting an Oregon law that requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to report certain information about specific new prescription drugs and historical information about pricing for existing drugs.
Raoul and the coalition filed the brief before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals supporting Oregon’s 2018 law, which aims to increase transparency in drug pricing. Raoul and the coalition’s brief emphasizes the importance of laws that collect data to provide greater understanding of drug spending and help guide policy solutions to address high drug costs.
“Pharmaceutical companies need to be transparent about increasing prescription drug costs,” Raoul said. “Patients have a right to know how much their health care costs because their access depends on affordability. I will continue to advocate for reforms that ensure prescription pricing is transparent and reduce the financial burden on patients.”
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA), a trade association representing some of the largest drug manufacturers in the United States, filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Oregon, challenging the constitutionality of the Oregon law. The district court ruled, in part, in favor of PhRMA, and Oregon appealed to the Ninth Circuit.
Raoul and the attorneys general argue in the amicus brief that state laws like Oregon’s serve important state interests, as recent dramatic increases in drug pricing impose harm on states and their residents.
Joining Raoul in filing the brief are the attorneys general of California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington.
