Train 500 Activists to Fight for Lower Drug Prices

With your help and support, CMS announced in April that they would not cover Aduhelm! People who are enrolled in clinical trials will still be a part of these trials, but otherwise the only way to get your hands on Aduhelm is to pay for it out of pocket, which is close to $30,000 minimum. We are thrilled with this decision by CMS!

We held virtual parties, where we got together online to leave our comments, and reached out to friends, family and community members. Together, we mobilized over 250 commenters - 2.5% of the national responses.

RCA members held an action against the FDA approval of Aduhelm outside of the JFK Building in Boston. Turned out that this event came just days after CMS finalized their coverage decision. We performed a mock press conference, playing reporters asking Biogen and FDA executive and Alzheimer's Association reps questions about Aduhelm.

Our members in Gainesville, FL gave a presentation to local AARP members about the dangers of Aduhelm, encouraging them to give support to the CMS decision and to talk with their clinicians about why this drug is so dangerous.

We have been holding study groups to talk about the different processes for FDA accelerated approval, focusing on the differences between the COVID-19 vaccine and Aduhlem.

We've had an active spring, and look forward to reflecting over the summer about this campaign and next steps!

While RCA members continue to deal with COVID during these winter months, both as clinicians and patients, the RCA has remained committed to the Aduhelm campaign. Our efforts were even recognized in a New York Times article written by Pam Belluck. In early January, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) came out with a preliminary decision to restrict coverage of Aduhelm to people enrolled in clinical trials. We are excited about this, and we're currently encouraging people to write comments to CMS applauding their hallmark decision. Click here for more information on how to comment!

Right Care Boston members have been active over the past few months. The group organized a mock press conference on the Boston Common on November 13. The skit satirized Biogen, the FDA, and the Alzheimer's Association for promoting Aduhelm for purely financial reasons. Members acted as Biogen and FDA executives and representatives from the Alzheimer's Association. Volunteers also portrayed reporters and asked key questions regarding why they would put seniors in danger by pushing this drug's approval, and about any evidence of Aduhelm's effectiveness. Check out the video of the skit here!

RCA members organized phone calls to the Senate during the confirmation hearings for Robert Califf, the new FDA Commissioner. We wanted Califf to address questions about the effectiveness, safety, and cost of Aduhelm. He wasn’t at the FDA when the approval happened -- but we hoped he would face questions about whether the Aduhelm approval should be withdrawn.

RCA members in Cambridge, MA also held a rally outside of Biogen, calling on senators to ask Califf about Aduhelm.

Right Care Gainesville members hosted a Town Hall on December 22 to talk about Omicron and how individuals in their community can stop the spread. Dr. Fred Southwick gave the presentation and shared background information about the spread of Omicron. Most attendees were concerned about how to stay safe with the rise of the new variant, and learned ways to avoid it.

Links:

• New York Times article mentioning RCA