(The Center Square) – New legislation in Congress would aim to provide more access to certain types of medicine in the United States, particularly those that use plasma.
The “Preserving Life-saving Access to Specialty Medicines in America Act” introduced by Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly and North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is meant to help with certain uncommon diseases.
“Ensuring that individuals with rare diseases and immunodeficiencies have access to life-saving plasma-based medicines is not just a health care issue, it’s a matter of life and death,” Kelly said in a statement. “The PLASMA Act is crucial to keep treatments accessible and affordable for thousands of Americans. I will continue working across the aisle to support plasma donation and guarantee that no patient faces a disruption in their treatment.”
According to a news release, the bill would put plasma-based medicines as part of a “Part D redesign” within the Inflation Reduction Act along with other “unique” medicines to be placed in the manufacturer discount program in hopes of preventing high costs of the medications.
“In the case of an applicable drug that is a plasma-derived product […] and that is marketed as of the date of enactment of this subparagraph and dispensed for an applicable beneficiary, the term ‘discounted price’ means the specified plasma-derived product percent of the negotiated price of the applicable drug of the manufacturer,” the bill states.
Proponents said it could also help with making sure that there is continued access to the drugs with the legislation.
“Many patients with rare and chronic conditions like Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) and Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN) require reliable access to plasma medicines multiple times per month and any disruption can have devastating effects,” Lisa Butler, Executive Director, GBS/CIDP Foundation International, said in a statement.
Millions of Americans reportedly donate plasma each year, as many centers do provide a financial incentive to do so. In January, the American Red Cross said that there is an “emergency blood shortage” and encouraged people to give blood or plasma, as they are used for a wide variety of drugs and treatments.
