MD advocates push politicians to further limit drug prices, as done with Ozempic

Healthcare advocates are urging politicians to help the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board limit prices for more than two dozen pharmaceuticals. 

Maryland Health Care for All, a grassroots organization made up of faith, labor, business, professional and community organizations, said it was sending letters Wednesday asking every Maryland General Assembly or gubernatorial candidate to commit to approving a forthcoming bill.

To be sponsored by Del. Jennifer White Holland, D-Baltimore County, during the 2027 legislative session, the bill would allow the drug board to quickly set upper payment limits for drugs that match the maximum fair price for drugs negotiated by the federal Medicare program, according to the advocacy organization.

“While the PDAB has made significant progress, the cost review process has been time consuming,” the letters read. “Now we are asking you to support a proposal which would allow the PDAB to act much more quickly to help all Marylanders afford their drugs and potentially save hundreds of millions of dollars per year.”

The Prescription Drug Affordability Board already set upper payment limits for the popular diabetes treatment and weight-loss drug Ozempic for state and county employees in May and will be able to apply payment limits to that and the diabetes drug Jardiance to all Marylanders beginning Jan. 1, 2028. 

According to a news release from Maryland Health Care for All, the Ozempic change is estimated to save state and local governments approximately $5.8 million annually, while the limit on Jardiance is expected to save $320,000. Once the limits go into effect for all Marylanders, it’s estimated that residents will save $16 million a year on Jardiance and $164 million on Ozempic, the release reads.

But some advocates believe hundreds of millions more could be saved if the list was rapidly expanded to include the maximum fair prices for Medicare-negotiated drugs.

Medicare set maximum price limits for 25 prescription drugs for 2026 and 2027, including Farxiga for diabetes, Otezla for plaque psoriasis, Vraylar for bipolar disorder and a series of others used to treat diseases like leukemia, prostate cancer, breast cancer, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“It’s time for legislative candidates to stand with Marylanders and not Big Pharma and commit to enacting this proposal that will generate significant savings for Marylanders,” Vincent DeMarco, president of Maryland Health Care for All, said in a statement. “Too many people struggle to pay for the drugs they need to stay healthy, and this proposed policy will be a godsend to them. Drugs don’t work if people can’t afford them.” 

In a Wednesday statement, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, said he and his colleagues “fought to provide Medicare the ability to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs” under the 2022 federal Inflation Reduction Act, which has allowed Americans to see “meaningful savings” on their prescription medications.

“The Maryland General Assembly now has the opportunity to build on that progress and tie the cost of drugs purchased in Maryland to the prices set by Medicare,” Van Hollen said. “This is a commonsense proposal that will make prescription drugs more affordable for all Marylanders.”

White Holland did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday. She is not facing a Republican candidate in the Nov. 3 general election. 

This story will be updated.