Congressional Record—Senate S2801
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May 9, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2801 Something is very wrong when a After I became pregnant with Ryker, I was to the table and work with us so we can company with limited R&D invest- monitored closely and started the progester- make this very important pharmacy ments can grossly overprice a drug one shots at 16 weeks which continued compound accessible to all American that in its absence virtually guaran- through 36 weeks. women whose doctors prescribe it to tees an increase in premature births. She had these shots through 20 con- them. Think of the greed involved here. secutive treatments, once a week for 20 I yield the floor. They paid some number of millions of weeks. f dollars to do a clinical trial, which was I am convinced that these shots allowed a good thing. They then brought the me to carry the pregnancy to term. ADJOURNMENT UNTIL 10 A.M. price from $10 to $1,500—times 20, Interrupting the letter for a moment, TOMORROW understand that when a doctor sees again, with the number of doses people The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. need in their treatment. With an ini- someone like Karen who has had a MERKLEY). Under the previous order, pregnancy like she had where a baby tial investment of less than $200 mil- the Senate stands adjourned until 10 was born that prematurely, that doctor lion, the first year they would have a.m. tomorrow. understands that a progesterone like reaped over $3 billion in revenue. Those Whereupon, the Senate, at 6:58 p.m., this progesterone we are talking about are the kinds of numbers they were op- adjourned until Tuesday, May 10, 2011, can make a huge difference in her car- erating on, as if that is fair. at 10 a.m. When a company used taxpayer-fund- rying her baby to full term. ed research to produce a drug so impor- Ryker was born at 38 weeks on October 30, f tant that it reduces infant mortality 2009, my Halloween baby. My husband is a and birth defects, that company should Columbus firefighter and I am an attorney NOMINATIONS also take on the responsibility for pric- practicing in workers’ compensation. We Executive nominations received by ing it in a reasonable manner. But look forward to more children in the near fu- the Senate: ture, but the cost of this shot concerns us DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE prices should never be inflated, par- greatly. We have experienced the horrible ticularly on a public health drug where pain of losing a child. No mother or father BARBARA K. MCQUISTON, OF CALIFORNIA, TO BE AN this company did not do the basic should have to go through this pain. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE. (NEW POSITION) DEPARTMENT OF STATE foundational research; all it did was She writes, signed: pay for clinical trials that did not MICHAEL H. CORBIN, OF CALIFORNIA, A CAREER MEM- Sincerely, Karen, Thad, Ryker and Tyler prove much more than we already BER OF THE SENIOR FOREIGN SERVICE, CLASS OF MIN- Turano. ISTER-COUNSELOR, TO BE AMBASSADOR EXTRAOR- knew. A company should never be al- DINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY OF THE UNITED STATES lowed to inflate prices of a public Today is Karen’s birthday, coinciden- OF AMERICA TO THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. tally. She celebrates with her son JEFFREY DELAURENTIS, OF NEW YORK, A CAREER health drug to reap these kinds of mas- MEMBER OF THE SENIOR FOREIGN SERVICE, CLASS OF sive profits, nor should the FDA ap- Ryker and husband Thad and other COUNSELOR, TO BE ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVE OF family and friends—and she does with THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR SPECIAL POLIT- proval process ever be manipulated to ICAL AFFAIRS IN THE UNITED NATIONS, WITH THE RANK achieve that same end, which it was. Tyler in her memory. I thank Karen OF AMBASSADOR. for sharing her story and the patients JEFFREY DELAURENTIS, OF NEW YORK, A CAREER While balancing the benefits of cor- MEMBER OF THE SENIOR FOREIGN SERVICE, CLASS OF porate profit—and I understand the in Toledo, Cleveland, Youngstown, and COUNSELOR, TO BE AN ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVE across our Nation and State who have OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE SESSIONS balance, and I want the companies to OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED NATIONS, continue to invest and move ahead— spoken about this, who deserve the af- DURING HIS TENURE OF SERVICE AS ALTERNATE REP- fordable and accessible treatment they RESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR while it can be challenging balancing SPECIAL POLITICAL AFFAIRS IN THE UNITED NATIONS. corporate earnings and societal bene- need. I am optimistic we can continue JEANINE E. JACKSON, OF WYOMING, A CAREER MEM- to find ways to ensure that the major- BER OF THE SENIOR FOREIGN SERVICE, CLASS OF MIN- fits, we can’t lose sight of our responsi- ISTER-COUNSELOR, TO BE AMBASSADOR EXTRAOR- bility to make innovative medicines ity of women in this country will still DINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY OF THE UNITED STATES have access to affordable versions of OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI. available and accessible to as many WILLIAM H. MOSER, OF NORTH CAROLINA, A CAREER people as possible. this critical lifesaving injection. It MEMBER OF THE SENIOR FOREIGN SERVICE, CLASS OF should not take public outrage, it MINISTER-COUNSELOR, TO BE AMBASSADOR EXTRAOR- I would like to close with a story DINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY OF THE UNITED STATES about why all this matters. Not too should not take congressional action, OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA. it should not take the FDA altering a MATTHEW H. TUELLER, OF UTAH, A CAREER MEMBER long ago—last month, I guess it was, OF THE SENIOR FOREIGN SERVICE, CLASS OF MINISTER- early April—I was in Port Columbus policy it normally doesn’t alter for a COUNSELOR, TO BE AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND company to do the right thing. PLENIPOTENTIARY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA International Airport about to fly to TO THE STATE OF KUWAIT. Mr. President, as you know, with the Washington when Karen Turano, whom HARRY S TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION I never met before, walked up to me to unemployment in your State and the unemployment in my State and the LAURA A. CORDERO, OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, share her story. She has since e-mailed TO BE A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE after our discussion where she talked problems we have as a nation on so HARRY S TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION FOR A many levels, this is particularly out- TERM EXPIRING DECEMBER 15, 2015, VICE JUANITA about this drug, and she sent me this ALICIA VASQUEZ-GARDNER, TERM EXPIRED. rageous because this progesterone is a letter: THE JUDICIARY public health pharmacy compound that I met you at the Columbus airport with my has worked and meant many more STEPHEN A. HIGGINSON, OF LOUISIANA, TO BE UNITED husband Thad and our 17-month-old son STATES CIRCUIT JUDGE FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT, VICE Ryker. Again, I just wanted to say thank women will have safe births with grow- JACQUES L. WIENER, JR., RETIRED. you for the work you are doing to make the ing, healthy children, contrasted with, IN THE NAVY progesterone shots affordable again. if they do not have the opportunity to THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICER FOR APPOINTMENT Our first son, Tyler, was born August 18, get this progesterone at a reasonable IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY TO THE GRADE INDICATED UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C., SECTION 624: 2008 and passed away the next day, August rate, at a reasonable price, we know 19, 2008. I prematurely went into labor at 24 what happens then. But rest assured, To be rear admiral weeks and had an emergency C-section. we will keep up the outrage, and we REAR ADM. (LH) WILLIAM E. LEIGHER Tyler was born at 9:59, weighing 1 pound 10 will continue to move through Con- THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICER FOR APPOINTMENT ounces. IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY TO THE GRADE INDICATED Thad went to be with [my son] since I was gress, if that is what it takes, to get UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C., SECTION 624: recovering from surgery. He called me early progesterone at an affordable price to To be rear admiral the next morning and told me the worst news America’s women. REAR ADM. (LH) DOUGLAS J. VENLET a new mother could hear: There was nothing It is an outrage what KV Pharma- THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICER FOR APPOINTMENT more that could be done and that Tyler IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY TO THE GRADE INDICATED ceuticals did. I applaud the FDA for UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C., SECTION 624: would pass away. My mother-in-law took me changing its policy to make it more ac- To be rear admiral to see and hold Tyler for the first and last cessible. time in his precious life. It was devastating. I ask KV Pharmaceuticals to again REAR ADM. (LH) DAVID C. JOHNSON Thad and I have since worked with public THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICER FOR APPOINTMENT health advocates to raise awareness on ways come to the table. Instead of lobbying IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY TO THE GRADE INDICATED to prevent premature births—while following Congress to get their way and make a UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C., SECTION 624: doctor’s orders to wait 6 months before we huge amount of money on a relatively To be rear admiral tried again. small investment, I ask them to come REAR ADM.