Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act
The IRA and Small Molecule Drugs (Oral Chemo) Advocating for Cancer Patients: Support the EPIC Act to Expand Access to Lifesaving Treatments
When the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was passed in 2022, it gave Medicare the power to negotiate prices for a select number of medications, aiming to lower costs for patients. For each drug, pharmaceutical companies have a limited timeframe to recover their development costs before Medicare sets a price. While this new process aims to help address healthcare costs, it has unintentionally created a roadblock for cancer patients who rely on new, flexible treatments.
Currently, when a cancer drug is approved by the FDA, Medicare sets a negotiation period for only its first use. This means if researchers discover the drug can treat other types of cancer, there is no additional period to recover the costs of proving those new uses. Without this critical incentive, many companies may choose not to pursue further studies on new uses of a drug, limiting treatment options for cancer patients who could benefit from the same drug in multiple ways.
Furthermore, the IRA has a seemingly arbitrary differentiation between the time allowed for price reduction exemption for small molecule drugs (which includes most oral pill form medications, including oral chemotherapy) and large molecule drugs. This is often referred to as the small molecule “pill penalty”. Under the IRA, small molecule drugs only have nine years exemption from drug price reduction while large molecule drugs have 13 years.
Consider this: in the past six years, 61% of new cancer drugs received additional FDA-approved uses, with 22% gaining three or more additional uses. These breakthroughs mean that one cancer drug can potentially be used to treat multiple cancers, bringing hope to many who are waiting for options. But without adjustments, the current Medicare rules may deter companies from pursuing these additional benefits. This is where the EPIC Act comes in.
What is the EPIC Act?
The Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act is a bipartisan bill that aims to fix this problem. The EPIC Act would give small molecule cancer drugs— pill form—the same 13-year period as large molecule drugs to prove their effectiveness in treating more types of cancer. This change would encourage companies to invest in additional clinical trials for cancer treatments that could make a real difference for patients.
By supporting the EPIC Act, we’re advocating for the discovery and accessibility of new cancer treatments that can meet patients where they are—whether at home, in treatment centers, or in underserved areas.
How You Can Help
Cancer patients need our voices, and Congress needs to hear from the people these changes will impact the most. Here’s what you can do today:
- Send an Email: Reach out to your Representative and urge them to co-sponsor the EPIC Act (HR 7174) HERE.
- Share Your Story: If you or a loved one has taken oral chemotherapy or benefitted from an anti-cancer drug that is used for multiple cancers, your story could make a difference! Your personal story can help make the need for this bill real to Congressmembers and your community members. Share your story HERE.
- Schedule a meeting with your representative: Find a toolkit for reaching out, scheduling and having meetings with your congressmembers HERE.
Let’s keep pushing for a world where every person affected by cancer has access to the best possible treatment options.
Importance of Access to Oral Chemo for Cancer Patients
Oral chemo/chemo pills help eliminate many known barriers to care and this de-incentivization in research could also roll back the progress we’ve made to reduce some of these barriers, including:
- Convenience and Accessibility
- Reduced need for frequent clinic visits: Patients can take oral chemo at home, eliminating the need to travel to infusion centers, which is especially beneficial for those in rural or underserved areas, working, etc.
- Less disruption to daily life: Oral chemo allows patients to maintain a more normal routine, reducing the time away from work, school, or family responsibilities.
- Lowered Financial Burden
- Fewer transportation costs: Since patients don’t need to travel as frequently to infusion centers, they save on gas, parking, and other travel-related expenses.
- Reduced indirect costs: Patients often experience lower costs related to childcare or lost wages from time taken off work to attend infusion appointments.
- Patient Comfort
- No need for needles or IV ports: Many patients find oral chemo less invasive and less stressful than IV chemo, as it eliminates the need for needle sticks or long hours spent in a clinic.
- Comfort of taking at home or on-the-go: Oral chemo allows patients to manage their treatment from the comfort of their own home, or wherever they are, reducing the stress and anxiety that often comes with hospital visits.
- Expanded Access for Immunocompromised Patients (especially in this new COVID era)
- Reduced risk of infection: Since oral chemo can be taken at home, patients with weakened immune systems due to cancer are less exposed to potential infections that might be encountered in clinical settings.
- Improved Treatment Flexibility
- Personalized scheduling: Oral chemo allows patients to take medication on their own schedule, which can help with adherence and managing side effects more effectively.
- Options for those with difficult veins: Some cancer patients have veins that are hard to access for IV chemotherapy, making oral medications a preferable alternative.
- Potential for Better Adherence
- Empowers patients: By giving patients control over their treatment administration, oral chemo can improve adherence and engagement with their care plan, contributing to better outcomes.
